Public Opposition to AI Data Centers Drives Quadrupled Security Hiring Since 2020

Job postings that mention both "physical security" and "data centers" have nearly quadrupled since early 2020, according to Indeed data cited by Business Insider. Postings for data center jobs overall jumped 23 percent in 2025, LinkedIn reported. A Business Insider investigation identified 1,240 data centers in the United States that had been built or approved by the end of 2024.

The facilities power AI models and cloud computing and are treated by some executives as critical infrastructure comparable to utilities and airports. Eddie Sorrells, CEO of DSI Security Services in Dothan, Alabama, said the hardening political environment has made security work more complex than when he began his career about 35 years ago.

At that time, he said, the main concerns were trespassing and theft.

Sorrells said current threats include industrial espionage, drone incursions, civil unrest, and activism. He added that insider threats are possible because contractors and construction crews cycle through sites. "It's not just going around shaking doors anymore," Sorrells said.

Guarding the sites can involve remote video monitoring, robotics, and drones, he said. S. adults found that seven in 10 respondents opposed building AI data centers nearby.

Opponents have cited concerns about energy, water, land use, and noise. Last week a developer withdrew an application to build a data center in New Hampshire after public outcry. A petition opposing the proposal collected more than 25,000 signatures in a town of about 5,000 people.

Sorrells said a data center in an urban area might generate less backlash than one in a rural setting that lacks supporting infrastructure. Kathy Lavinder, founder and executive director of SI Placement, said data centers have "a lot more complexity" than distribution centers or warehouses. "This is not a security generalist position," she said.

A senior data center security site evaluation program manager position at CoreWeave requires at least five years of experience in physical security program management. The role includes evaluating sites, setting standards, monitoring threats, and protecting expanding facilities.

CoreWeave listed a base salary range of $143,000 to $191,000 and benefits that include fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid parental leave, and catered lunch.

An Amazon data center physical security specialist position in Oregon requires at least one year of experience overseeing security operations. The role involves managing vendors and training workers and pays $24 to $42 an hour, or about $50,000 to $87,000 a year.

" One project involving Kevin O'Leary in Utah would cover 40,000 acres across multiple sites, an area more than twice the size of Manhattan, and would consume more electricity than the rest of Utah uses.

Lavinder said the growth of data centers means demand for security workers is not likely to fade. "This is not a blip," she said.