Data network specialist vs network support technician

The differences between data network specialists and network 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 network specialist and a network support technician. Additionally, a data network specialist has an average salary of $81,950, which is higher than the $48,622 average annual salary of a network support technician.

The top three skills for a data network specialist include switches, timely maintenance and business rules. The most important skills for a network support technician are troubleshoot, technical support, and customer service.

Data network specialist vs network support technician overview

	Data Network Specialist	Network Support Technician
Yearly salary	$81,950	$48,622
Hourly rate	$39.40	$23.38
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	91,708	120,245
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Data network specialist vs network support technician salary

Data network specialists and network support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Network Specialist	Network Support Technician
Average salary	$81,950	$48,622
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $123,000	Between $38,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Olympia, WA	Troy, NY
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Rhode Island
Best paying company	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between data network specialist and network support technician education

There are a few differences between a data network specialist and a network support technician in terms of educational background:

	Data Network Specialist	Network Support Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Data network specialist vs network support technician demographics

Here are the differences between data network specialists' and network support technicians' demographics:

	Data Network Specialist	Network Support Technician
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2%	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.4% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between data network specialist and network support technician duties and responsibilities

Data network specialist example responsibilities.

Design, develop, and manage SharePoint sites on both classify and unclassify networks.
Maintain and manage a tactical network during military and combat operations, both in garrison and deploy.
Design, configure and run VMWare Vcenter servers to manage multiple ESXi host servers and optimize server resources.
Manage TCP/IP network, install and configure network peripherals, run DHCP clients and servers, and maintain WNS and DNS.
Ensure business continuity by managing and monitoring all infrastructure backups, and notifying business partners of fail backup jobs.
Assist customers, if necessary, with proper configuration of network devices to support VOIP implementation.

Network support technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing Nortel CS1000 phone system.
Manage a technician scheduling system base on Linux.
Manage SQL database moves, updates, backups, for end users ,.
Manage circuit provisioning, customer contact, order tracking, IP allocation and task management databases.
Manage all VoIP technology and phone configuration.
Manage security solutions, including firewall, anti-virus, and intrusion detection systems.

Data network specialist vs network support technician skills

Common data network specialist skills

Switches, 9%
Timely Maintenance, 7%
Business Rules, 6%
Network Management, 6%
Data Network Systems, 5%
VoIP, 5%

Common network support technician skills

Troubleshoot, 9%
Technical Support, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Network Support, 6%
Switches, 5%
Desk Support, 4%

Data Network Specialist vs. similar jobs

Data Network Specialist related careers

Data Network Specialist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Computer and Mathematical Industry
Data Network Specialist
Data Network Specialist vs Network Support Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs