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The differences between data center technicians and desktop support 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 desktop support technician. Additionally, a data center technician has an average salary of $46,560, which is higher than the $41,792 average annual salary of a desktop support technician.
The top three skills for a data center technician include patients, customer service and CLIA. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Data Center Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,560 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $22.38 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 139,177 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A desktop support technician is responsible for troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.
Data center technicians and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Center Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,560 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $74,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a data center technician and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Data Center Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between data center technicians' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Data Center Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |