Microsoft Atlanta Campus

Atlanta's economy is anchored by a dense Fortune 500 footprint (Delta, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS), film and television production that has earned the metro the "Y'allywood" nickname, the world's busiest airport for passenger traffic, and a growing fintech cluster. Data centers slot into Atlanta as the southeastern US's primary peering and connectivity hub — 56 Marietta Street is one of the most interconnected buildings in the South. The 22 tracked facilities and roughly 2,600 NAICS 518 jobs (estimated) make this a solid mid-tier market with major presences from Stack, QTS, Switch, and Digital Realty.

The trades pool is mid-sized at 104,960. The deepest single bloc is maintenance and repair at 25,190 workers earning $49,630 median — a meaningful entry channel into data center facility tech roles for workers without an electrician license. Electricians ($58,650) and HVAC technicians ($58,970) earn essentially identical median wages here, which makes HVAC the faster route in by credentialing time. Network admins clear $101,000 and IT managers $177,970, both reflecting Atlanta's growing tech presence.

For a trades worker, Atlanta is a solid mid-tier market without the wage premium of Chicago or the volume of Dallas. Best for maintenance workers and HVAC technicians who can also access the broader logistics, film production, and corporate facilities work that anchors the metro outside the data center industry.