A data center operator is the powerhouse of a cost-effective data center, a facility that is dedicated to the arrangement, processing, storage, and distribution of data. Companies and other organizations utilize these data centers to improve their business output and profitability.
The main role of data center operators is to make sure that the facility's mainframes and large computers are properly and efficiently functioning. They address system issues and mitigate risks of downtime, ensuring that security measures are in place. They also do manual work to fix problematic equipment.
With the technical and detailed work, the data center operator should possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills. They should be able to multitask and competently perform their duties under pressure. They may work on flexible schedules or in shifts because data centers operate round-the-clock.
Aspiring data center operators need at least an associate's degree in information technology, computer science, or systems analysis. Familiarity with TCP/IP and Active Directory is also a requirement.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a data center operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.89 an hour? That's $45,539 a year!
There are certain skills that many data center operators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed customer-service skills, listening skills and speaking skills.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a data center operator, we found that a lot of resumes listed 9.0% of data center operators included customer service, while 8.1% of resumes included hardware, and 7.4% of resumes included backup. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the data center operator job title. But what industry to start with? Most data center operators actually find jobs in the finance and technology industries.
If you're interested in becoming a data center operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 39.6% of data center operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.5% of data center operators have master's degrees. Even though some data center operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a data center operator. When we researched the most common majors for a data center operator, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on data center operator resumes include high school diploma degrees or master's degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a data center operator. In fact, many data center operator jobs require experience in a role such as computer operator. Meanwhile, many data center operators also have previous career experience in roles such as senior computer operator or technical support specialist.