DataX Connect adds gender questions to salary survey

DataX Connect has launched its 2026 Data Centre Salary Survey, adding new questions on gender and career progression.

The survey will examine whether data centre professionals believe their gender has affected their career progression. It follows findings from the previous annual study, which showed women reported lower average salaries than men at every seniority level.

In the 2025 survey, women in senior positions earned 5% less than their male counterparts, while the gap widened to 20% in mid-level roles. The new survey aims to explore the reasons behind those results rather than simply measure pay differences.

The research will also continue to track salaries, bonuses, benefits and working patterns across data centre construction and operations in Europe and the United States. This year, DataX Connect is expanding its regional reporting to provide more detailed market breakdowns.

The move comes as the data centre industry faces pressure to recruit and retain workers for a growing pipeline of projects. Labour shortages remain a central concern, and this year's survey also asks where new recruits previously worked to identify which industries are supplying talent.

Retention is another focus. Findings from the previous survey suggested pay increases did not necessarily stop staff from planning to leave, pointing to broader concerns about career development and progression.

Pay and progression

More than one in three respondents to the 2025 survey had received a pay rise but still planned to change jobs within 12 months. The study also found that a third of respondents under 35 were already in senior roles, indicating rapid career progression for some younger professionals in the sector.

Those results helped shape the latest questionnaire, which aims to gather more evidence on how workers view advancement, reward and equality. DataX Connect is also seeking stronger regional representation across the US and Europe so it can break out findings by geography and job category in greater detail.

The 2025 edition received more than 1,500 responses from professionals in more than 20 countries, making it, according to DataX Connect, the largest independent study of its kind in the sector. The latest survey has already attracted more than 1,000 responses globally, with less than two weeks remaining in the data collection period.

The questionnaire takes about seven minutes to complete, and responses are anonymous. The findings are due to be published later this year.

Talent pipeline

The survey's broader agenda reflects a market trying to understand not only what workers are paid, but also how they enter the industry and why they leave. As demand for digital infrastructure continues to drive construction and operations activity, employers are under pressure to compete for engineers, project managers, operations staff and other specialists.

By asking respondents what they did before joining the data centre industry, DataX Connect is trying to map the backgrounds feeding into the workforce. That could give employers a clearer view of alternative talent pools at a time when competition for experienced staff remains intense.

The focus on benefits and working patterns also suggests employers may need to look beyond salary to improve retention. Last year's findings indicated that compensation alone was not enough for a substantial share of respondents, with career development emerging as a notable factor in decisions to stay or move.

Industry debate

The gender pay findings from the previous survey appear to have become one of the main issues shaping this year's research. Rather than limiting the exercise to salary benchmarking, the 2026 survey aims to capture how professionals interpret the link between gender and progression in their own careers.

That approach could add context to headline pay data by showing whether respondents believe barriers exist in promotion, access to opportunities or advancement through different stages of the industry. It may also help employers compare pay practices and workplace experiences across regions and seniority levels.

DataX Connect said every response helps build a more accurate picture of pay, progression and equality across the sector.