System technician vs data center technician

The differences between system 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 system technician and a data center technician. Additionally, a data center technician has an average salary of $46,560, which is higher than the $43,410 average annual salary of a system technician.

The top three skills for a system technician include customer service, hand tools and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a data center technician are patients, customer service, and CLIA.

System technician vs data center technician overview

	System Technician	Data Center Technician
Yearly salary	$43,410	$46,560
Hourly rate	$20.87	$22.38
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	137,121	139,177
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a system technician do?

A system technician is an individual responsible for supporting users with issues related to the computer system. System technicians conduct appropriate diagnostics on computer issues and must be able to explain technical issues to clients or team members. They should carry out tests on the system so that they can generate error reports to identify and fix any computer system problems. System technicians also can write and maintain computer programs and work with computers and electronics, including circuit boards, computer hardware and software, and computer processors.

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.

System technician vs data center technician salary

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

	System Technician	Data Center Technician
Average salary	$43,410	$46,560
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $67,000	Between $28,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Piscataway, NJ
Highest paying state	Washington	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Bristol-Myers Squibb	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Government	Energy

Differences between system technician and data center technician education

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

	System Technician	Data Center Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	-

System technician vs data center technician demographics

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

	System Technician	Data Center Technician
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0%	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.5% 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 system technician and data center technician duties and responsibilities

System technician example responsibilities.

Install and manage approve software distributions using Microsoft SCCM.
Manage, support and maintain modern EMC SAN storage platform.
Manage 185 virtualize desktops running in a cluster VMware ESX environment.
Provide on-site construction support and lead system testing, debugging, and startup.
Develop and implement a weekly schedule on SQL databases to automate the execution of maintenance plans.
Plan and lead training programs on new software development essential to the movement to a paperless travel department for DoD.

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.

System technician vs data center technician skills

Common system technician skills

Customer Service, 10%
Hand Tools, 7%
Preventative Maintenance, 6%
Technical Support, 5%
Control Systems, 4%
Security Systems, 4%

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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System Technician vs Data Center Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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