Data center engineer vs data center technician

The differences between data center engineers and data center technicians 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 engineer and a data center technician. Additionally, a data center engineer has an average salary of $102,788, which is higher than the $46,560 average annual salary of a data center technician.

The top three skills for a data center engineer include data centers, troubleshoot and HVAC. The most important skills for a data center technician are patients, customer service, and CLIA.

Data center engineer vs data center technician overview

	Data Center Engineer	Data Center Technician
Yearly salary	$102,788	$46,560
Hourly rate	$49.42	$22.38
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	178,277	139,177
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a data center engineer do?

A data center engineer is responsible for managing the efficiency and optimal performance of the network data systems of an organization. Data center engineers ensure the safety and security of the database to prevent unauthorized access and suspicious activities within the network that may pose risks for the business. They assess the navigation of the servers, conduct regular maintenance, and perform immediate troubleshooting for glitches to avoid any delays in the operation. A data center engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in writing data resolution for reference and configuration.

What does a data center technician do?

A data center technician is an information technology (IT) professional who ensures the optimal performance of data servers and network of a data center. Datacenter technicians are required to protect company data by preventing the overheating of data center components and replace failing parts promptly. They need to collaborate with software and network engineers to work on the organization's cybersecurity and network efficiency. Datacenter technicians must keep track of developing trends in data center technologies and provide advice about the procurement of new data center equipment.

Data center engineer vs data center technician salary

Data center engineers and data center technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Center Engineer	Data Center Technician
Average salary	$102,788	$46,560
Salary range	Between $71,000 And $147,000	Between $28,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Piscataway, NJ
Highest paying state	California	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Meta	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Technology	Energy

Differences between data center engineer and data center technician education

There are a few differences between a data center engineer and a data center technician in terms of educational background:

	Data Center Engineer	Data Center Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	-

Data center engineer vs data center technician demographics

Here are the differences between data center engineers' and data center technicians' demographics:

	Data Center Engineer	Data Center Technician
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.0% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between data center engineer and data center technician duties and responsibilities

Data center engineer example responsibilities.

Manage vendor replacement of faulty equipment, maintain inventory, activity and procedure documentation on NOC SharePoint site.
Create IP ranges and create or edit internal/external DNS using BlueCat IPAM.
Automate tasks via bash and python scripts with tools such as awscli, boto library, and jenkins.
Install fiber and copper cross connects for routers, switches, network and SAN connections to serves and storage.
Set up DNS, DHCP and GPO's and other domain services.
Set up DHCP scopes, TCP/IP (IP address reservations, etc . )

Data center technician example responsibilities.

Manage job schedules via Autosys, Tivoli, & Zeke.
Utilize remedy ticketing system to track and manage trouble tickets and changes.
Manage the daily operation of the NOC which includes provisioning servers, ticket handling and resolution and internal escalations.
Manage data center power, space and infrastructure planning for mainframe, distribute, storage and network equipment technologies.
Manage proactive network monitoring, repair, and maintenance for TDM, SS7, VoIP, and DWDM platforms.
Job responsibilities include monitoring network equipment and network performance in support of Net2Phones manage PacketCable VOIP solution.

Data center engineer vs data center technician skills

Common data center engineer skills

Data Centers, 7%
Troubleshoot, 7%
HVAC, 6%
Linux, 6%
SAN, 3%
Plumbing, 3%

Common data center technician skills

Patients, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
CLIA, 9%
OSHA, 8%
Standard Operating Procedure, 8%
Center Management, 8%

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Data Center Engineer vs Data Center Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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