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The differences between noc technicians and network engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a noc technician and a network engineer. Additionally, a network engineer has an average salary of $83,557, which is higher than the $45,884 average annual salary of a noc technician.
The top three skills for a noc technician include customer service, troubleshoot and network operations. The most important skills for a network engineer are switches, troubleshoot, and network infrastructure.
| NOC Technician | Network Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $45,884 | $83,557 |
| Hourly rate | $22.06 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 48,270 | 72,346 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A NOC (Network Operations Center) technician is responsible for providing the highest customer service by resolving the customers' technical and network issues that affect the performance and stability of the systems operations. NOC technicians diagnose system failures and create support tickets for immediate troubleshooting. They also assist the system engineers in upgrading the network infrastructure and configuration to prevent system downtimes and operational delays. A NOC technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in identifying technical solutions and achieve the best customer satisfaction for system services.
A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs. They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations.
Noc technicians and network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| NOC Technician | Network Engineer | |
| Average salary | $45,884 | $83,557 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $67,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Duquesne Light Company | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a noc technician and a network engineer in terms of educational background:
| NOC Technician | Network Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between noc technicians' and network engineers' demographics:
| NOC Technician | Network Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |