Data center operator vs data center technician

The differences between data center operators 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 operator and a data center technician. Additionally, a data center operator has an average salary of $46,763, which is higher than the $46,560 average annual salary of a data center technician.

The top three skills for a data center operator include customer service, infrastructure and escalate. The most important skills for a data center technician are patients, customer service, and CLIA.

Data center operator vs data center technician overview

	Data Center Operator	Data Center Technician
Yearly salary	$46,763	$46,560
Hourly rate	$22.48	$22.38
Growth rate	10%	5%
Number of jobs	120,016	139,177
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a data center operator do?

A data center operator is primarily in charge of making sure that a data center functions efficiently. Their job entails installing software or hardware systems, conducting regular maintenance checks, troubleshooting issues, fixing or replacing components, upgrading or updating systems, maintaining records, and producing progress reports as necessary. They are also in charge of monitoring the daily operations of the data center, developing and implementing data security protocols, and providing technical support to staff. Moreover, they may also train new data center workers and enforce company policies and guidelines.

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 operator vs data center technician salary

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

	Data Center Operator	Data Center Technician
Average salary	$46,763	$46,560
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $74,000	Between $28,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	Piscataway, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between data center operator and data center technician education

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

	Data Center Operator	Data Center Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	-

Data center operator vs data center technician demographics

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

	Data Center Operator	Data Center Technician
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7%	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.3% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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	10%	9%

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

Data center operator example responsibilities.

Manage daily Tivoli problem reporting system.
Implement and manage a centralize hardware management and provisioning system.
Control system jobs running in CTM scheduler, assist with problem resolution of JCL, utility programs and/or hardware failures.
Enter commands, MVS, JES2, IMS and VMS.
Install and configure TCP/IP and troubleshoot network problems.
Utilize JES heavily to review job status, TSO for analysis.

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 operator vs data center technician skills

Common data center operator skills

Customer Service, 12%
Infrastructure, 7%
Escalate, 7%
Mainframe, 6%
Linux, 5%
Unix, 5%

Common data center technician skills

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

Data Center Operator vs. similar jobs

Data Center Operator related careers

Data Center Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Data Center Operator
Data Center Operator vs Data Center Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs