Data center technician vs computer technician

The differences between data center technicians and computer 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 technician and a computer technician. Additionally, a data center technician has an average salary of $46,560, which is higher than the $39,767 average annual salary of a computer technician.

The top three skills for a data center technician include patients, customer service and CLIA. The most important skills for a computer technician are customer service, desk support, and network printers.

Data center technician vs computer technician overview

	Data Center Technician	Computer Technician
Yearly salary	$46,560	$39,767
Hourly rate	$22.38	$19.12
Growth rate	5%	10%
Number of jobs	139,177	95,688
Job satisfaction	4.5	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a computer technician do?

Computer technicians are skilled information technology professionals who handle concerns related to computers. They are responsible for assisting clients in software installations, troubleshooting needs, and repair needs. Computer technicians handle the maintenance and repair of both software and hardware of computers. They should be able to quickly pinpoint the causes of computer problems that the client encounters. They should also be able to answer the clients' computer-related inquiries and provide advice on proper computer handling. Computer technicians should have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Data center technician vs computer technician salary

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

	Data Center Technician	Computer Technician
Average salary	$46,560	$39,767
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $74,000	Between $28,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	Piscataway, NJ	Alexandria, VA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Virginia
Best paying company	Microsoft	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Energy	Government

Differences between data center technician and computer technician education

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

	Data Center Technician	Computer Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Computer Science
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Data center technician vs computer technician demographics

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

	Data Center Technician	Computer Technician
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	11%

Differences between data center technician and computer technician duties and responsibilities

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.

Computer technician example responsibilities.

Recreate and manage company website, maintain regular updates, manage DNS servers, administrate e-mail and outlook exchange server.
Manage and maintain desktop security updates company-wide with no downtime of systems due to OS vulnerability exploitation.
Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
Add and configure networked printers for TCP/IP printing and other peripheral equipment including video conferencing equipment.
Diagnose and troubleshot computer hardware and software.
Fix computers, do inventory of computers, run cables.

Data center technician vs computer technician skills

Common data center technician skills

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

Common computer technician skills

Customer Service, 13%
Desk Support, 8%
Network Printers, 6%
Computer System, 6%
Technical Support, 6%
Laptop Computers, 5%

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Data Center Technician vs Computer Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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