Data center administrator vs help desk administrator

The differences between data center administrators and help desk administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a data center administrator and a help desk administrator. Additionally, a data center administrator has an average salary of $49,854, which is higher than the $49,798 average annual salary of a help desk administrator.

The top three skills for a data center administrator include customer service, linux and vmware. The most important skills for a help desk administrator are customer service, desk support, and troubleshoot.

Data center administrator vs help desk administrator overview

	Data Center Administrator	Help Desk Administrator
Yearly salary	$49,854	$49,798
Hourly rate	$23.97	$23.94
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	172,212	130,180
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a data center administrator do?

A data center administrator is in charge of overseeing the daily operations of an organization's data center. Their job focuses on maintaining and updating data storage systems, managing hardware and software, implementing data protection and recovery plans, performing installations and repairs, and providing technical support to staff as needed. They also conduct research and analyses to establish the ideal practices and center layouts, escalating complex issues to the assigned department, maintaining records, and conducting assessments and evaluations to ensure procedures adhere to company standards and project timelines.

What does a help desk administrator do?

Help desk administrator is responsible for handling activities related to system support for their company or organization. They are in charge of providing superb client experiences and working in resolving support issues in a professional and timely manner. One of their primary tasks includes providing login resets and passwords for end-users. In addition, they will also perform innovative systems and network repairs, as well as assist computer information responses as required. Moreover, they support complete equipment set-up, renewal, or termination of a user account, handle server, and domain account changes.

Data center administrator vs help desk administrator salary

Data center administrators and help desk administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Center Administrator	Help Desk Administrator
Average salary	$49,854	$49,798
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $89,000	Between $34,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	NETSCOUT	Houlihan Lokey
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between data center administrator and help desk administrator education

There are a few differences between a data center administrator and a help desk administrator in terms of educational background:

	Data Center Administrator	Help Desk Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Data center administrator vs help desk administrator demographics

Here are the differences between data center administrators' and help desk administrators' demographics:

	Data Center Administrator	Help Desk Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%	Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 13.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between data center administrator and help desk administrator duties and responsibilities

Data center administrator example responsibilities.

Manage Cisco UCS systems that host the organization's VMware environment running critical clinical applications.
Work with USAMITC to manage DNS and with DISA tiger team to manage mail.mil email system.
Manage integrated network connectivity, reporting, and troubleshooting including switch, router, and firewall connectivity to increase system stability.
Work with SQL database developer to create the VMware view database and importing require tables.
Move content to new SQL server.
Use of EMC centera base file archival management system.

Help desk administrator example responsibilities.

Create, deploy and manage VMWare virtual desktops as well as configured customize pools for specific operational needs.
Manage the PC refresh program transferring all user data remotely and installing require software applications.
Configure, establish and manage local area network (LAN) connectivity and remote access per customer configuration requirements.
Administer DNS / DHCP servers, work with network administer to make sure the tables are updating correctly.
Administer IP address allocation through DHCP management.
Assist in the deployment of new POS applications and hardware.

Data center administrator vs help desk administrator skills

Common data center administrator skills

Customer Service, 7%
Linux, 6%
VMware, 5%
Vmware Esxi, 5%
Windows Server, 5%
HVAC, 4%

Common help desk administrator skills

Customer Service, 11%
Desk Support, 7%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Technical Support, 5%
Phone Calls, 4%
Remote Desktop, 4%

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Data Center Administrator vs Help Desk Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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