Commercial trades hiring in Provo-Orem.
QTS is building a $6B, 193-acre, five-building data center campus in Eagle Mountain - the largest capital project in Utah County's history, supporting 2,000+ construction jobs at peak. Data center electricians now run above the national rate.
The largest capital project in Utah County's history.
Against the BLS national median for the same occupation, field trades here run from −20% for HVAC technicians to +2% for sheet metal workers.
QTS's Eagle Mountain data center campus is a $6 billion first-phase investment spanning 193 acres and five buildings, with over 650MW of planned critical power capacity and expansion plans running through the next 5 years. Construction began in September 2025, and structural framing was nearing completion by April 2026 - supporting more than 2,000 construction jobs at peak.
Alongside it, two major freeway projects are adding sustained heavy-civil demand: the 2100 North Freeway, a $621M, 2.8-mile connector between the Mountain View Corridor and I-15, and the US-189 Provo Canyon widening, a $105M project underway through late 2027.
Major capital projects driving Provo-Orem commercial trades demand
- QTS Eagle Mountain data center campus$6B (first phase, 5 buildings)Construction began Sept 2025; structural framing nearing completion April 2026
193 acres, five data center buildings, over 650MW of planned critical power capacity, and expansion plans over the next 5 years. Supporting more than 2,000 construction jobs at peak - the largest capital project in Utah County's history.
- 2100 North Freeway$621MUnder construction
A 2.8-mile freeway-to-freeway connection between the Mountain View Corridor and I-15 - major heavy-civil demand in Utah County.
- US-189 Provo Canyon widening$105MUnderway in 2026, completion late 2027
Widening to two lanes in each direction through Provo Canyon, with hillside excavation and lane shifts already underway.
What you'll actually pay - by role.
Hourly wages for the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT area, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release for May 2025. These are the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile BLS reports — not our estimate of them. Each row names the BLS occupation it was read from, because our job titles and BLS's occupations are not the same list.
Measured against the BLS national median for the same occupation, field trades in the Provo-Orem-Lehi area run from −20% for HVAC technicians to +2% for sheet metal workers. The spread between trades is wider than the gap between most cities, which is why a single "market premium" figure is not much use when you are pricing a specific role.
| Role | Provo-Orem hourly | National hourly | Median vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial construction superintendentBLS Construction Managers (11-9021) | $36.95 – $60.25median $47.83 | $42.57 – $72.91median $55.28 | −13% |
| Commercial electrician (journeyman)BLS Electricians (47-2111) | $22.89 – $37.29median $29.26 | $23.76 – $40.36median $30.38 | −4% |
| Commercial plumber, pipefitter or steamfitter (journeyman)BLS Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $22.59 – $33.52median $27.47 | $24.13 – $40.92median $30.67 | −10% |
| Heavy equipment operatorBLS Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $24.67 – $31.58median $28.79 | $23.40 – $37.10median $28.78 | Level with US |
| Sheet metal workerBLS Sheet Metal Workers (47-2211) | $26.56 – $37.81median $30.45 | $22.99 – $39.24median $29.71 | +2% |
| Commercial rooferBLS Roofers (47-2181) | $18.35 – $29.91median $22.41 | $22.24 – $31.44median $26.65 | −16% |
| Commercial HVAC technicianBLS Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (49-9021) | $22.03 – $29.61median $23.53 | $23.25 – $37.05median $29.33 | −20% |
| Commercial estimatorBLS Cost Estimators (13-1051) | $28.36 – $47.37median $37.29 | $29.40 – $48.97median $37.86 | −2% |
BLS counts plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters and sprinkler fitters as one occupation. We do not split them here, because splitting them would mean inventing a number BLS does not publish.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. 25th–75th percentile hourly, Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT, retrieved October 15, 2026. Download the source file (40 MB .zip) and check any figure. BLS publishes no commercial-only, journeyman-only or certification-specific wage, so we do not print one.
What's happening in Provo, trade by trade.
Quick read of the current Provo-Orem market for each of our 20 commercial trades verticals.
HVAC & Mechanical
QTS's 193-acre, five-building data center campus needs cooling infrastructure at hyperscale. Data center mechanical/cooling technicians run above the national rate.
Commercial Electrical
The largest premium in this metro. Data center electricians/critical-power technicians run above the national rate - 650MW of planned critical power capacity needs skills that are scarce anywhere, let alone Utah County.
Commercial Plumbing
Standard commercial plumbing carries a solid regional premium; the data center campus adds a smaller process/utility plumbing niche.
Commercial Construction
Superintendents with hyperscale data center delivery experience are the clear premium hire against the largest capital project in Utah County's history.
Commercial Roofing
QTS's five-building campus carries substantial roofing scope; standard commercial roofing carries a solid regional premium.
Fire Protection
Clean-agent data center suppression systems are highly specialized, code-critical work - NICET III designers with data center experience are genuinely scarce.
Paving & Asphalt
The $621M 2100 North Freeway and the $105M US-189 Provo Canyon widening are both driving substantial heavy-civil demand; equipment operators run above the national rate.
Commercial Landscaping
Corporate campus landscaping for QTS's data center site, plus standard institutional demand tied to Utah County's broader growth.
Commercial Flooring
Raised-access, static-control flooring for QTS's data center buildings is a distinct, higher-skill install than conventional commercial flooring.
Commercial Painting
Standard commercial painting demand carries a solid regional premium, with data center facility coatings as a smaller specialty niche.
Commercial Cleaning & FM
Data center-grade cleaning and particle-control protocols for QTS's campus are a distinct, higher-skill tier from conventional office cleaning.
Welding & Fabrication
Structural fabrication for QTS's five-building campus is sustained demand through the next 5 years of planned expansion. Standard shop welding carries a solid regional premium.
Commercial Irrigation
A specialist trade most contractors still source through agriculture or generalist staffing - we recruit it directly, not as an afterthought.
Commercial Pest Control
Licensing-driven and referral-heavy - a maintained, license-verified pipeline outperforms reactive posting in this trade specifically.
Commercial Trucking
A licensing-bottlenecked market where CDL credentials and clean records matter more than resume keywords.
Elevator Maintenance
A small, credential-gated labor pool most generalist recruiters can't actually verify.
Insulation
Mechanical insulators and building-envelope installers are two distinct hiring pools most recruiters treat as one.
LED & Solar
One of the fastest-growing trades we track nationally, and one of the least served by specialist recruiters.
Masonry & Concrete
A small, referral-driven labor pool where reputation moves faster than job postings.
Physical Security
Installers and integrators need both electrical and IT skill - a dual-skillset hiring problem most firms get wrong.
The positions we fill in Provo, most often.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial trades contractors in Provo-Orem - from senior leadership down to field roles. The positions we recruit for in this market:
- Data center electrician / critical-power technician - the hardest hire in the region
- Data center mechanical / cooling technician
- Superintendent with hyperscale data center delivery experience
- Project manager (data center, heavy-civil, commercial GC)
- Senior estimator
- Heavy equipment operator (freeway/canyon work)
- Service manager (HVAC, electrical, plumbing)
For a full list of the 80+ commercial trades positions we recruit for, see the individual industry pages - each lists the 10 most-recruited roles for that trade with current wage ranges.
Frequently asked — commercial trades hiring in Provo.
How do you hire commercial trades talent in Provo-Orem in 2026?
Commercial trades hiring in Provo-Orem in 2026 is dominated by QTS's Eagle Mountain data center campus - a $6 billion first-phase investment spanning 193 acres and five buildings, with over 650MW of planned critical power capacity and more than 2,000 construction jobs at peak. Construction began in September 2025, with structural framing nearing completion by April 2026 and expansion plans running through the next 5 years - the largest capital project in Utah County's history. Separately, a $621M 2100 North Freeway connector and a $105M US-189 Provo Canyon widening project both add sustained heavy-civil demand. Utah licenses contractors through DOPL with trade-specific classifications (E200/E201 electrical, P200/P201 plumbing, H100 HVAC). My Trade Talent screens Provo-Orem candidates against both the general market premium and the data center's specific specialty premiums.
How long does it take to hire a commercial trades professional in Provo-Orem?
For field roles: typically 4-6 weeks from intake to signed offer. Data center electricians and critical-power technicians run considerably longer, 9-13 weeks, because QTS's $6B Eagle Mountain campus needs a very specific, scarce skill set even against a broader Utah County labor market that's already running well above national on conventional trades.
Are commercial trades wages in Provo-Orem higher than the national average?
Against the BLS national median for the same occupation, field trades here run from −20% for HVAC technicians to +2% for sheet metal workers. The two standout exceptions are data center electricians/critical-power technicians and data center mechanical/cooling technicians, both tied to QTS's Eagle Mountain campus.
How is the QTS Eagle Mountain data center campus affecting commercial trades hiring?
It's the single largest driver of demand we've found in Utah County's history. QTS is investing $6 billion in a first-phase, five-building, 193-acre data center campus with over 650MW of planned critical power capacity, supporting more than 2,000 construction jobs at peak. Construction began in September 2025 and structural framing was nearing completion by April 2026, with expansion plans for the next 5 years. That's pushed data center electrical and mechanical wages to some of the largest premiums we track in this metro.
What licensing applies to commercial trades contractors in Provo-Orem?
Utah licenses contractors through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). Electrical contractors need an E200 (general) or E201 (residential) classification with a master electrician qualifier; plumbing contractors need P200 or P201 with a master plumber qualifier; HVAC contractors need an H100 classification requiring a trade exam, Certified Natural Gas Technician certificate, and 4,000 hours of experience. Any project valued at $3,000 or more requires a licensed contractor.
Hiring commercial trades in Provo-Orem?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.
