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The differences between data center technicians and field technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a data center technician, becoming a field technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a data center technician has an average salary of $46,560, which is higher than the $37,520 average annual salary of a field technician.
The top three skills for a data center technician include patients, customer service and CLIA. The most important skills for a field technician are customer service, ladders, and test equipment.
| Data Center Technician | Field Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,560 | $37,520 |
| Hourly rate | $22.38 | $18.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 139,177 | 123,149 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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 field technician is responsible for providing technical and maintenance support for the customers by area visits. Field technicians' duties include diagnosing technical problems, replacing malfunction components, upgrading systems for efficiency, running equipment tests to ensure stability, creating draft reports of performed processes, utilizing vehicles and other tools safely, following client's specifications on operating equipment, and adhering to the safety standards. A field technician must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the technological industry.
Data center technicians and field technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Center Technician | Field Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,560 | $37,520 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $74,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | DCP Midstream |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a data center technician and a field technician in terms of educational background:
| Data Center Technician | Field Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between data center technicians' and field technicians' demographics:
| Data Center Technician | Field Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% |
| 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, 4.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 1% |