QTS San Antonio DC-1

San Antonio's economy combines the largest military presence of any US metro (Joint Base San Antonio combines four installations), USAA financial services headquarters, healthcare and biomedical research (UT Health Science Center), and tourism. Data centers fit into the military and financial-back-office demand — seven tracked facilities (Microsoft's massive Westover Hills campus being the most notable), with roughly 1,100 NAICS 518 jobs (estimated). The Microsoft campus alone reshapes the local data center labor market.

The trades pool is compact at 6,660 electricians ($57,010 median) and 3,160 HVAC technicians at $58,590 — both modest in absolute terms reflecting Texas non-union wages, with HVAC actually slightly ahead. The maintenance workforce of 11,450 earns $45,380 and is the deepest entry channel. The security pool of 11,420 is meaningful, with the military adjacency creating a steady cleared-security pipeline.

For a trades worker, San Antonio is the strongest single-city opportunity for cleared HVAC and electrical workers in Texas, driven by Microsoft's hyperscaler campus and the federal facility ecosystem. Best fit for trades willing to pursue clearance, and for HVAC technicians who can leverage the desert-southwest cooling load.