EdgeConneX EDC Raleigh

Raleigh's economy is anchored by the Research Triangle ecosystem (Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, the surrounding research park), biotech and pharmaceutical research, IBM and a growing tech presence, and state government. Data centers serve the research and pharma tenants plus growing hyperscaler interest in the broader Carolinas corridor — six tracked facilities and roughly 800 NAICS 518 jobs (estimated).

The trades pool is compact at 3,740 electricians ($56,800 median) and 2,550 HVAC technicians at $58,900 — HVAC actually slightly outpaces electricians here, reversing the usual pattern. The 6,330 maintenance workforce earns $49,870. Network admins clear $103,380 and IT managers $173,960, both elevated by the research and tech base.

For a trades worker, Raleigh is unusual in that HVAC technicians out-earn electricians, making it an appealing market for HVAC techs entering data center work — particularly with the parallel pharma cleanroom and biotech research facility demand. The trades pool is small but growing, with strong IT manager pay reflecting the research economy.