Network technician vs data center technician

The differences between network technicians 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 network technician and a data center technician. Additionally, a network technician has an average salary of $68,938, which is higher than the $46,560 average annual salary of a data center technician.

The top three skills for a network technician include customer service, switches and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a data center technician are patients, customer service, and CLIA.

Network technician vs data center technician overview

	Network Technician	Data Center Technician
Yearly salary	$68,938	$46,560
Hourly rate	$33.14	$22.38
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	79,712	139,177
Job satisfaction	5	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a network technician do?

A network technician is responsible for system malfunction diagnosis and troubleshooting operations. Network technicians duties' include repairing damaged system components, analyzing computer systems and blueprints, installing network connections, and upgrading accessories for efficient operations. Other duties include assisting customers with technical issues, ensuring computer systems' privacy, creating documents of network issues and resolutions, and suggesting alternative equipment for network backups. A network technician must have a broad knowledge of the technology industry and mechanical processes, plus the ability to work under pressure with minimal supervision.

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.

Network technician vs data center technician salary

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

	Network Technician	Data Center Technician
Average salary	$68,938	$46,560
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $92,000	Between $28,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Piscataway, NJ
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Apple	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Finance	Energy

Differences between network technician and data center technician education

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

	Network Technician	Data Center Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Network technician vs data center technician demographics

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

	Network Technician	Data Center Technician
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.4% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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	9%	9%

Differences between network technician and data center technician duties and responsibilities

Network technician example responsibilities.

Install and manage DHCP servers including setting up DHCP scopes, enabling DHCP clients, viewing and managing active leases.
Manage city wide IIS deployment.
Manage Virtualization system, using ESX server/client.
Install, configure and manage Symantec Antivirus on all network computers
Use Symantec BackupExec to manage and maintain all server backups and file restorations.
Manage company Cisco series routers, switches, and ASA firewall integrate into MPLS network.

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.

Network technician vs data center technician skills

Common network technician skills

Customer Service, 9%
Switches, 6%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Routers, 4%
Lan Wan, 3%
Lan, 3%

Common data center technician skills

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

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Network Technician vs Data Center Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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