Stargate Milam County
OpenAI Stargate site in Milam County, Texas, about 70 miles northeast of Austin, built and operated by SoftBank's SB Energy with about 1,200 MW of planned capacity. Epoch AI reported steel framing and roofing on the first building in April 2026.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 1,200 MW
- Estimated cost
- $470,000,000First phase, estimated construction cost (state filing)
- Building size
- 548,950 sq ftFirst phase, one building
- Construction start
- Oct 2025Building 1 (Baxtel)
- Expected completion
- 2027Service expected 2027 through 2028 (Baxtel)
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
Unions
No union agreement was found in the sources reviewed. This does not mean the site is non-union.
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Plumbers & pipefitters
- Ironworkers
- Laborers
- Carpenters
- Boilermakers
- Insulators
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in Milam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElectriciansNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 20, 2009 · old rateELECTRICIANOvertime 1.5× $27.09 · Double time 2× $36.12 · Benefits /hr $4.87 | $18.06 | $27.09 | $36.12 | $4.87 | $22.93 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 68 · effective Oct 1, 2024PLUMBEROvertime 1.5× $59.97 · Double time 2× $79.96 · Benefits /hr $11.61 | $39.98 | $59.97 | $79.96 | $11.61 | $51.59 |
| IronworkersUnion rate · Iron Workers Local 482 · effective Jun 1, 2025IRONWORKER, STRUCTURAL AND REINFORCING (MILAM COUNTY)Overtime 1.5× $42.45 · Double time 2× $56.60 · Benefits /hr $8.23 | $28.30 | $42.45 | $56.60 | $8.23 | $36.53 |
| Sheet metal & HVACNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 20, 2009 · old rateSHEET METAL WORKEROvertime 1.5× $25.50 · Double time 2× $34.00 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $17.00 | $25.50 | $34.00 | $0.00 | $17.00 |
| LaborersUnion rate · Laborers Local 154 · effective May 1, 2024LABORERS: MASON TENDER - CEMENT/CONCRETE (MILAM COUNTY)Overtime 1.5× $37.91 · Double time 2× $50.54 · Benefits /hr $9.57 | $25.27 | $37.91 | $50.54 | $9.57 | $34.84 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Non-union survey rate · effective Apr 20, 2009 · old rateOPERATOR: FORKLIFTOvertime 1.5× $21.87 · Double time 2× $29.16 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $14.58 | $21.87 | $29.16 | $0.00 | $14.58 |
| CarpentersUnion rate · Carpenters Local 551 · effective Apr 1, 2025CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY)Overtime 1.5× $49.91 · Double time 2× $66.54 · Benefits /hr $9.73 | $33.27 | $49.91 | $66.54 | $9.73 | $43.00 |
| BoilermakersUnion rate · Boilermakers Local 74 · effective Jan 1, 2025BOILERMAKEROvertime 1.5× $49.76 · Double time 2× $66.34 · Benefits /hr $24.92 | $33.17 | $49.76 | $66.34 | $24.92 | $58.09 |
| InsulatorsUnion rate · Heat and Frost Insulators Local 87 · effective Jun 2, 2025ASBESTOS WORKER/HEAT & FROST INSULATOR (MILAM COUNTY)Overtime 1.5× $45.75 · Double time 2× $61.00 · Benefits /hr $8.89 | $30.50 | $45.75 | $61.00 | $8.89 | $39.39 |
| PaintersNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 20, 2009 · old ratePAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAYOvertime 1.5× $17.63 · Double time 2× $23.50 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $11.75 | $17.63 | $23.50 | $0.00 | $11.75 |
| BricklayersNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 20, 2009 · old rateBRICKLAYEROvertime 1.5× $27.00 · Double time 2× $36.00 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $18.00 | $27.00 | $36.00 | $0.00 | $18.00 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 20, 2009 · old rateCEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHEROvertime 1.5× $18.14 · Double time 2× $24.18 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $12.09 | $18.14 | $24.18 | $0.00 | $12.09 |
| RoofersNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 20, 2009 · old rateROOFEROvertime 1.5× $20.46 · Double time 2× $27.28 · Benefits /hr $1.80 | $13.64 | $20.46 | $27.28 | $1.80 | $15.44 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Non-union survey rate · effective Apr 20, 2009 · old rateTRUCK DRIVEROvertime 1.5× $16.02 · Double time 2× $21.36 · Benefits /hr $0.34 | $10.68 | $16.02 | $21.36 | $0.34 | $11.02 |
- 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 TX20260214 (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
- Epoch AI (opens in a new tab)epoch.ai · Other
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (TX) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination TX20260214 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- DatacenterDynamics (opens in a new tab)datacenterdynamics.com · News
- Baxtel (tracker) (opens in a new tab)baxtel.com · Other
- Baxtel (tracker) (opens in a new tab)baxtel.com · Other
- Baxtel (tracker) (opens in a new tab)baxtel.com · Other
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