Applied Digital Polaris Forge 1
Partially operationalUnion labor reported
Applied Digital's 400 MW AI data center campus in Ellendale, Dickey County, North Dakota, leased to CoreWeave. About 250 MW was ready for service by October 2026. The United Association has been recruiting union pipefitters and pipe welders for the two-year build.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 400 MW
- Estimated cost
- Not available
- Building size
- Not available
- Construction start
- Not available
- Expected completion
- Nov 2025Building 1 at its full 100 MW
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
- Developer
- Tenant
- General contractor
Unions
- United Association (UA) · Union labor reported · Plumbers & pipefitters
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Plumbers & pipefitters
- Ironworkers
- Operating engineers (heavy equipment)
- Boilermakers
- Plasterers & cement masons
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in Dickey County, by trade. It is a floor, not what this project pays: data center jobs often pay above scale, and non-union survey rates can be many years old.
| Trade | Wage /hr | Overtime 1.5× | Double time 2× | Benefits /hr | Total comp /hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElectriciansUnion rate · IBEW Local 1426 · effective Jun 1, 2025ELECTRICIAN (DICKEY, RANSOM, RICHLAND, AND SARGENT COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $56.12 · Double time 2× $74.82 · Benefits /hr $18.62 | $37.41 | $56.12 | $74.82 | $18.62 | $56.03 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 300 · effective Jun 2, 2025PIPEFITTEROvertime 1.5× $65.91 · Double time 2× $87.88 · Benefits /hr $20.46 | $43.94 | $65.91 | $87.88 | $20.46 | $64.40 |
| IronworkersUnion rate · Iron Workers Local 512 · effective May 1, 2022IRONWORKER, REINFORCINGOvertime 1.5× $53.93 · Double time 2× $71.90 · Benefits /hr $33.11 | $35.95 | $53.93 | $71.90 | $33.11 | $69.06 |
| Sheet metal & HVACNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 18, 2014 · old rateSHEET METAL WORKER (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY)Overtime 1.5× $40.20 · Double time 2× $53.60 · Benefits /hr $8.52 | $26.80 | $40.20 | $53.60 | $8.52 | $35.32 |
| LaborersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 18, 2014 · old rateLABORER: COMMON OR GENERALOvertime 1.5× $19.41 · Double time 2× $25.88 · Benefits /hr $3.18 | $12.94 | $19.41 | $25.88 | $3.18 | $16.12 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Union rate · Operating Engineers Local 49 · effective May 1, 2025POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: GROUP 2 ALL CRANES UP TO 149 TONS, CRANE OPERATOR UP TO 179'…Overtime 1.5× $60.30 · Double time 2× $80.40 · Benefits /hr $25.25 | $40.20 | $60.30 | $80.40 | $25.25 | $65.45 |
| CarpentersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 18, 2014 · old rateCARPENTEROvertime 1.5× $28.28 · Double time 2× $37.70 · Benefits /hr $4.70 | $18.85 | $28.28 | $37.70 | $4.70 | $23.55 |
| BoilermakersUnion rate · Boilermakers Local 647 · effective Jan 1, 2025BOILERMAKEROvertime 1.5× $72.00 · Double time 2× $96.00 · Benefits /hr $31.14 | $48.00 | $72.00 | $96.00 | $31.14 | $79.14 |
| InsulatorsNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 18, 2014 · old rateINSULATOR - MECHANICAL (DUCT, PIPE & MECHANICAL SYSTEM INSULATION)Overtime 1.5× $25.02 · Double time 2× $33.36 · Benefits /hr $2.17 | $16.68 | $25.02 | $33.36 | $2.17 | $18.85 |
| PaintersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 18, 2014 · old ratePAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER)Overtime 1.5× $30.69 · Double time 2× $40.92 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $20.46 | $30.69 | $40.92 | $0.00 | $20.46 |
| BricklayersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 18, 2014 · old rateBRICKLAYEROvertime 1.5× $36.00 · Double time 2× $48.00 · Benefits /hr $5.83 | $24.00 | $36.00 | $48.00 | $5.83 | $29.83 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsUnion rate · Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 633 · effective May 1, 2023CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHEROvertime 1.5× $53.00 · Double time 2× $70.66 · Benefits /hr $18.40 | $35.33 | $53.00 | $70.66 | $18.40 | $53.73 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Non-union survey rate · effective Aug 18, 2014 · old rateTRUCK DRIVER: DUMP TRUCKOvertime 1.5× $31.43 · Double time 2× $41.90 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $20.95 | $31.43 | $41.90 | $0.00 | $20.95 |
- Wage:
- the hourly pay in the worker's paycheck, before taxes, at straight time.
- Overtime and double time:
- the wage × 1.5 and × 2. Federal contracts require time and a half after 40 hours a week; when double time applies (for example Sundays, holidays or after 10–12 hours) is set by each union contract.
- Benefits:
- paid by the employer on top of the wage into the worker's health insurance, pension and annuity, and apprenticeship training funds (sometimes vacation and holiday pay). Not in the paycheck.
- Total comp:
- wage + benefits for one straight-time hour.
Journeyman rates only; shift premiums and per diem are not included. Source: Davis-Bacon general wage determinations on SAM.gov.
Apprentices: rates above are for journeymen. Apprentices are usually paid a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40–60% and rising about 10 percentage points every 6 months to a year until they reach the full rate. Exact steps vary by trade and local.
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination ND20260036 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- DatacenterDynamics (opens in a new tab)datacenterdynamics.com · News
- Applied Digital (via Nasdaq) (opens in a new tab)nasdaq.com · Press release
- United Association (opens in a new tab)ua.org · Press release
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (ND) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- Minnesota Concrete & Masonry Contractors Association (opens in a new tab)mcmca.com · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination ND20260036 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- MarketScale (opens in a new tab)marketscale.com · News
- Applied Digital (GlobeNewswire) (opens in a new tab)business.mammothtimes.com · Press release
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