xAI Colossus 2 + MACROHARDRR
xAI's Colossus 2 and MACROHARDRR sites in Memphis, Tennessee and Southaven, Mississippi, with about 2,000 MW of capacity. The $20 billion cost figure refers to the Southaven site. It is partially operational. An IBEW Local 474 job call in October 2026 asked for 40 journeyman electricians for New River Electric at the xAI substation on Tulane Road; the call may have been cancelled.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 2,000 MW
- Estimated cost
- $20,000,000,000
- Building size
- 1,000,000 sq ftTulane Road site; plus the 810,000 sq ft Southaven building and a 312,000 sq ft new building
- Construction start
- Mar 2025Colossus 2
- Expected completion
- Not available
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
- Owner
- Subcontractor
Unions
Union labor was reported, but no specific union is named in the sources reviewed.
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Plumbers & pipefitters
- Ironworkers
- Sheet metal & HVAC
- Operating engineers (heavy equipment)
- Carpenters
- Insulators
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in this project's county (Tennessee), 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 474 · effective Aug 4, 2025ELECTRICIAN (EXCLUDES LOW VOLTAGE WIRING)Overtime 1.5× $55.13 · Double time 2× $73.50 · Benefits /hr $16.19 | $36.75 | $55.13 | $73.50 | $16.19 | $52.94 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 568 · effective Nov 1, 2024PIPEFITTEROvertime 1.5× $45.62 · Double time 2× $60.82 · Benefits /hr $11.47 | $30.41 | $45.62 | $60.82 | $11.47 | $41.88 |
| IronworkersUnion rate · Iron Workers Local 492 · effective May 1, 2025IRONWORKER, STRUCTURALOvertime 1.5× $52.98 · Double time 2× $70.64 · Benefits /hr $17.07 | $35.32 | $52.98 | $70.64 | $17.07 | $52.39 |
| IronworkersUnion rate · Iron Workers Local 798 · effective Jul 1, 2025IRONWORKER, REINFORCINGOvertime 1.5× $46.50 · Double time 2× $62.00 · Benefits /hr $17.77 | $31.00 | $46.50 | $62.00 | $17.77 | $48.77 |
| Sheet metal & HVACUnion rate · Sheet Metal Workers Local 4 · effective Jan 1, 2024SHEET METAL WORKER (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY)Overtime 1.5× $52.43 · Double time 2× $69.90 · Benefits /hr $16.66 | $34.95 | $52.43 | $69.90 | $16.66 | $51.61 |
| LaborersNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 3, 2017 · old rateLABORER: COMMON OR GENERALOvertime 1.5× $18.00 · Double time 2× $24.00 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $12.00 | $18.00 | $24.00 | $0.00 | $12.00 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Union rate · Operating Engineers Local 624 · effective Jan 1, 2024POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: FORKLIFTOvertime 1.5× $53.25 · Double time 2× $71.00 · Benefits /hr $14.55 | $35.50 | $53.25 | $71.00 | $14.55 | $50.05 |
| CarpentersUnion rate · Carpenters Local 345 · effective May 1, 2024CARPENTEROvertime 1.5× $45.30 · Double time 2× $60.40 · Benefits /hr $14.74 | $30.20 | $45.30 | $60.40 | $14.74 | $44.94 |
| InsulatorsUnion rate · Heat and Frost Insulators Local 86 · effective Mar 1, 2025ASBESTOS WORKER/HEAT & FROST INSULATOROvertime 1.5× $57.26 · Double time 2× $76.34 · Benefits /hr $18.82 | $38.17 | $57.26 | $76.34 | $18.82 | $56.99 |
| PaintersNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 3, 2017 · old ratePAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER)Overtime 1.5× $24.00 · Double time 2× $32.00 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $16.00 | $24.00 | $32.00 | $0.00 | $16.00 |
| BricklayersNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 16, 2021 · old rateBRICKLAYEROvertime 1.5× $30.00 · Double time 2× $40.00 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $20.00 | $30.00 | $40.00 | $0.00 | $20.00 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 3, 2017 · old rateCEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHEROvertime 1.5× $25.38 · Double time 2× $33.84 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $16.92 | $25.38 | $33.84 | $0.00 | $16.92 |
| RoofersNon-union survey rate · effective Apr 16, 2021 · old rateROOFEROvertime 1.5× $24.44 · Double time 2× $32.58 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $16.29 | $24.44 | $32.58 | $0.00 | $16.29 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Non-union survey rate · effective Apr 3, 2017 · old rateTRUCK DRIVER: DUMP TRUCKOvertime 1.5× $21.71 · Double time 2× $28.94 · Benefits /hr $0.41 | $14.47 | $21.71 | $28.94 | $0.41 | $14.88 |
- 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 TN20260200 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination MS20260054 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Per diem reported
Typical per diem reported · Memphis / Southaven / West Memphis
$160–$175 /day
Range $150–$178 · 8 reports
Per diem is a daily allowance for meals and lodging. It is usually paid only to travelers, often those who live 50+ miles from the job, and it varies by contractor. These are amounts reported in job posts, union job boards and worker posts for this area: they are not guaranteed. "Typical" is the middle half of the reports.
| Job | Per day |
|---|---|
| Inside journeyman wireman (electrician)Union job board · Cache Valley Electric · Nov 3, 2026 · View post (opens in a new tab) | $178 |
| Licensed journeyman electricianJob listing · Superior Skilled Trades · Facebook (recruiter post) · Oct 16, 2026 | $160 |
| Industrial / medium voltage electricianJob listing · Superior Skilled Trades · Facebook (group: Per Diem Jobs by RoadDogJobs) · Sep 24, 2026 | $167posted as $5,000/month |
| Journeyman electricianWorker report · New River Electric · Facebook (influencer page) · Oct 23, 2026 | $175 |
| Structural welderWorker report · Core Group Resources · Facebook (influencer page) · Oct 23, 2026 | $160 |
| PipefitterWorker report · Fusion Mechanical (as named in comment) · Facebook (group: Per Diem Only Fans) · Oct 9, 2026 | $175 |
| PipefitterWorker report · Performance (as named in comment) · Facebook (group: Per Diem Only Fans) · Oct 9, 2026 | $150 |
| Licensed journeyman electricianWorker report · xAI (per recruiter email in post; unverified) · Facebook (personal post) · Sep 2, 2026 | $167posted as $5,000/month |
Weekly amounts are divided by 7 and monthly amounts by 30. Not counted: shift-completion bonuses ("incentives"), per diem built into the hourly wage, jobs with lodging provided, and office or safety roles. Posts on personal social media profiles are counted but not linked.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- Yahoo News (opens in a new tab)yahoo.com · News
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (TN) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination TN20260200 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination MS20260054 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- SDxCentral (opens in a new tab)sdxcentral.com · News
- DeSoto Times-Tribune (opens in a new tab)desototimes.com · News
- Techzine (opens in a new tab)techzine.eu · News
- WREG (opens in a new tab)wreg.com · News
- GoHereBro (IBEW 474 job-call aggregator) (opens in a new tab)goherebro.com · Other
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