- My Data Center Employment History
- Is The Data Center Technician Role The Right Choice For You?
- How To Become A Data Center Technician
Note: This is a work in progress
Updated: April 5, 2026
My Data Center Employment History
Allow me a moment to explain how I started my career in the Information Technology field (and data centers) before I tell you how you can transition into the role.
I graduated college in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in English with the dreams of becoming an author. Between 2004 and 2007 I tried to get an agent interested in my books, but got rejections instead. During that time I worked various jobs to pay the bills. By late 2007 I was basically broke and gave up. I decided to change careers.
After researching what career I could do without going back to college I discovered IT. I already fixed computers for family, friends, and coworkers. It was a skill I learned during my college years. I could get into the field with the CompTIA A+ certification. I spent the rest of 2007 studying and passed both the exams in March 2008. By May 2008 I got my first entry-level IT job.
Soon my employment introduced me to data centers. I could look at the racks of servers, but I couldn’t touch them. I couldn’t even enter the room without an escort. Yet, I wanted to do that work so I improved my skills. It wasn’t until 2014 that I got my first job in a data center as a Data Center Technician.
Peak 10 (Flexential)
In 2014 I got my first data center technician job at Peak 10 (now Flexential) in Alpharetta, GA. I worked the third-shift performing duties like rack and stack, assist customers, monitored systems, running Ethernet and fiber optical cabling, and install Power Distribution Units (PDUs). It was a good introduction into a mid-size colocation data center, and the regular duties technicians faced.
Short-Term Contracting Stint
I worked a short-term stint (three months) repairing servers in a data center for a company.
In 2017 I got a job as a Site Operations Technician at Twitter to work at their Atlanta, GA data center. I was ecstatic to get this job because I enjoyed using Twitter, and wanted to work at a Silicon Valley company. At that point in my career it was the largest data center I worked at. I stayed at Twitter for over 3 years, leaving in December 2020 to start my own business.
In May 2023 I started at Google as a Data Center Technician 2. I was on a team traveling to different data center locations to deploy the Machine Learning machines and train other Data Center Technicians on how to deploy and repair those machines. In 2024 I switched over to the Network Projects team, and currently deploy the networking infrastructure in data center buildings so the machines can communicate with the outside world. I’m still employed with Google and I’m currently a Data Center Technician 3.
Is The Data Center Technician Role The Right Choice For You?
Before readers dive into to discover how to become a Data Center Technician please read this section first to determine if this role is the right choice for you. This role has some quirks that individuals that can be deal-breakers for some people.
Physicality Of Data Center Jobs
When I think about the various positions available in the IT Industry many of them are sedentary. I sat in a chair for a majority of my eight hour shift as a Technical Support Technician. I got up to go to the bathroom or to lunch. Software Engineers, Database Administrators, and Network Engineers all sit down for the majority of their day. To combat the constant sitting some employers installed standing desks, but a recent study shows those don’t really help improve a person’s health.
That’s why I suggest Data Center Technician jobs to individuals who are physically active in their personal life, and want to stay active in their professional life. Here’s a few ways describing the physicality of data center jobs:
- Data centers are large buildings so there is near-constant walking.
- Server racks are tall so one has to squat, kneel, and climb ladders to access the servers.
- Computer hardware is heavy, and require a good amount of strength to move it around.
Seeking Variety of Daily Tasks
Individuals seeking to work on a plethora of different tasks per daily should consider this role. They may want variety because it makes the work day go by faster. Others just don’t want to do the same thing over and over.
This role requires each technician to perform a tasks coming in via a ticket. One ticket could have that individual rack and stack networking hardware and servers in a rack. The next ticket for the day could have a technician run Ethernet cabling across the floor to a customer’s rack. Finally, a technician may have to escort a vendor, like a Field Service Technician from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), around the data center floor so that person can perform a repair, or install some equipment.
With this job the tasks change constantly, which means little to no repetitive tasks. And each work day is different.
It’s Great For Loners
Depending on the shift there may be only one to two Data Center Technicians working in the entire building. Thus, if individuals prefers their own company and only wants to talk to their coworkers when needed this role will probably work out well for them.
I worked night shift as Data Center Technician at a previous employer so I speak from good experience. Granted, I got a little lonely, but overall I liked it. It did get a little stressful when I had many tasks to do. That’s when I would have liked a coworker around then.
If these reasons haven’t soured you on the role then continue reading.
How To Become A Data Center Technician
This guide works for individuals already working in the IT industry, or those trying to transition into role. Although I can’t guarantee readers a job if they follow these steps, I can say this information gives readers a good chance of landing an interview for an entry-level role.
Learn Computer Hardware Installation & Troubleshooting
One of the many daily tasks of a Data Center Technician is to install computer hardware into servers, or upgrade that hardware. For example: It’s common to replace a defective hard drive. Or a technician may need to replace a hard drive with one with a larger capacity. Thus you need to know how to safely install and remove all types of hardware components.
To learn this skill I used to recommend individuals build a computer, but I can’t recommend that anymore due to the high prices of consumer hard drives and memory (RAM). However, if readers want to build their own computer to gain hands-on experience they can search places like Facebook Marketplace or Craiglist to find refurbished or used computers for cheap. Sometimes people do give away broken computers. That’s a fantastic way to build troubleshooting skills as one has to figure out why the computer doesn’t work.
Speaking of that that is another daily task of a Data Center Technician. Depending on job requirements they may have to troubleshoot server problems and determine if the part is faulty. Or a senior technician may do the initial troubleshooting and leave the rest up to a junior technician. Learning troubleshooting skills aren’t easy. YouTube videos cover various type of troubleshooting procedures in detail depending on the problem. Another way to learn is to read troubleshooting documentation from computer part manufacturers. I do consider hardware troubleshooting an art, and requires constant practice and time to become proficient.
Become A Help Desk Technician First
I believe one of the best ways to develop that skill-set is to get an entry-level job as a Help Desk Technician. This role helps people, be it an external or internal customer, fix their IT issues by talking to them on the phone or chatting to them via a web chat interface. To learn more about the role check out this website.
I recommend this role to those with little to no experience in IT because it’s one of the easiest jobs to get. The average salary in the United States per Indeed is $23 dollars per hour. I know for some people that may not be a large salary, but it’s important to build one’s resume with professional IT experience (which this role will do).
I don’t recommend roles I haven’t done myself. In the early part of my IT career I was a Help Desk Technician. Then I progressed to a Desktop Support Technician. These roles not only help me use and improve my computer hardware and software troubleshooting skills, but they helped me develop customer service and other soft skills.
If you’re interested in learning how to become a Help Desk Technician I found this 9 hour course from The Cyber Mentor on YouTube. I also found this playlist from cobuman on YouTube describing the types of tickets technician will face and how to properly troubleshoot and resolve them.
Consider Certification
Another way on how to become a Data Center Technician is to consider getting an IT certification. I suggest the following two certifications:
Details About The CompTIA+ Certification
The A+ Certification is good for all types of entry-level IT jobs. To get the certification requires passing two exams. Each exam is currently $265 USD.
Study materials are an additional cost. CompTIA has their own “official” study material, but third-party providers also have books and videos individuals can purchase. However, there are plenty of videos on YouTube one can watch for free. A popular course available on YouTube is from Professor Messer. That link will take you to the 2026 playlist containing all the videos.
Details About The Google IT Support Certificate
The certificate’s main focus is to provide beginners a solid foundation in the following:
- Computer hardware knowledge
- Computer networking knowledge
- Troubleshooting skills
- Knowledge about operating systems
- Information about IT Security and System Administration
This foundation prepares certificate holders to apply for jobs like IT Support and System Administration.
The certificate uses videos hosted on Coursera, allowing students to learn at their own pace. Thus, students can learn the material no matter where they located as along as they have an Internet connection.
In addition, there are hands-on activities students needs to accomplish to not only proceed in the coursework, but to actually understand what they learned.
Finally, there are assessments students must pass to proceed through the course. There is a limited on the number of times a person can fail each assessment in a 24-hour period. Then students have to wait a period of time before trying again.
Like the A+ Certification, the Google IT Support Certificate is good for various types of entry-level IT jobs too. To get the certification requires finishing the entire course on Coursera. The self-paced course costs $49 a month.
Choose Which Type Of Data Center Is Right For You
There are two types of data centers: Colocation and Hyperscale. Depending on which one you choose will shape your daily duties and career progression. There isn’t a right or wrong choice because Colocation data centers will have benefits that Hyperscale will not (and vice versa). The major difference between the two that will influence your choice is location. I’ll discuss that further in this section.
Colocation Data Centers
Colocation (or colos for short) data centers according to Equinix “refers to the placement of an organization’s own servers and other essential computing hardware for data storage in rented space within a physical data center owned and/or operated by a third party.” Thus, the third party (like Equinix) owns and operates the data center. They maintain the power and cooling infrastructure, along with providing Data Center Technicians to provide all types of assistance to their customers.
Colos will be in major cities in various countries. This gives better access to their customers who are usually in those major cities. It also put the colos close by to Internet connections from different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and dark fiber. This is great for those interested in a Data Center Technician job as they will have a greater choice in jobs in those major cities.
Let’s look at some normal duties of a Data Center Technician at a colo. I took this information from a Technician II job at Digital Reality:
The Remote Hands Technician II will assist all Digital Realty customers by providing “best in class” customer and technical support. The Remote Hands Technician II will work with and support all customer demands which may include, racking and stacking of equipment, cabling, cross connects, etc. Internally, the Remote Hands Technician II may work with the Deployment and Implementation teams, the Global Command Center, Provisioning team and Project Management to ensure relevant installations meet delivery dates and create a positive customer experience. The Remote Hands Technician II will be primarily responsible for responding to Customer Requests within the Service Level Agreement time frame. The Remote Hands Technician will also assist other members of the Operations Team ensuring 100% uptime to all customers.
Here are some of the skills candidates need to work in colos:
- Years of experience in Telecommunications or Data Center related field
- Understanding of telecom structured cabling standards
- Understanding of network device deployment
- Ability to communicate written and verbally
- Work flexible shift schedules
- Provide rotational on-call coverage
- Use of industry standard test equipment
- Troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills
- Professional business communication and interpersonal skills
- CompTIA A+ / Net + Certification preferred
- General knowledge of AC/DC electrical theory
- Lift and handle up to 50 pounds
- Work under a raised data center floor
- Climb ladders (up to 16 feet) to reach plenum spaces
If you’re interested in working for a colocation provider there are both global and regional employers. First, here are the top global providers:
- Equinix
- Digital Realty
- NTT Global Data Centers
- QTS Data Centers (Blackstone)
- CyrusOne
- Iron Mountain Data Centers
- Switch Inc.
- Global Switch
- Vantage Data Centers
Here are the top specialized and regional colocation providers:
- CoreSite (American Tower)
- EdgeConneX
- KDDI/Telehouse
- Flexential
- Aligned Data Centers
- DataBank
Hyperscale Data Centers
Hyperscale Data Centers (also called Hyperscalers) according to Red Hat: “provide cloud computing and data management services to organizations that require vast infrastructure for large-scale data processing and storage.” Usually those organizations will be the cloud computing companies (such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to name a few). Thus, external customers cannot place their own servers and networking hardware in a Hyperscale Data Center.
Another major difference with a Hyperscale Data Center is the location. Most aren’t located in major cities due to their massive size. Some of the campuses require hundreds of acres of land, which is hard to get in many major cities around the world today.
Let’s look at some normal duties of a Data Center Technician at a Hyperscalers. I took this information from a Data Center Technician job at AWS:
Data Center Technician position involves in-depth hardware and network diagnostics followed by physical repair as well as participating in an on-call rotation. AWS Infrastructure Services owns the design, planning, delivery, and operation of all AWS global infrastructure. In other words, we’re the people who keep the cloud running. We support all AWS data centers and all the servers, storage, networking, power, and cooling equipment that ensure our customers have continual access to the innovation they rely on.
Here are some of the skills AWS requests of candidates for the above position:
- Work a flexible schedule including weekends, nights, and holidays
- 18+ months of computer/server hardware troubleshooting or related IT experience
- 18+ months of computer layer 1/2 networking experience (including troubleshooting and repair)
- Experience in a data center or other critical environment
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional or military experience in an IT-related field (e.g. computer science, network engineering, etc.)
- Industry standard certifications (CompTIA, CCENT, Network+)
- Understanding of Linux or similar operating systems
Let’s compare that to a Data Center Technician job posting from Google:
The Hardware Operations team is responsible for monitoring the state-of-the-art physical infrastructure behind Google’s powerful search technology. As an Operations Technician, you’ll install, configure, test, troubleshoot and maintain hardware (like servers and its components) and server software (like Google’s Linux cluster). You’ll also take on the configuration of more complex components such as networks, routers, hubs, bridges, switches and networking protocols. You’ll participate in or lead small project teams on larger installations and develop project contingency plans. A typical day involves manual movement and installation of racks, and while it can sometimes be physically demanding, you are excited to work with infrastructure that is at the cutting-edge of computer technology.
Here are some of the skills Googles requests of candidates for the above position:
- Experience with assembly of mechanical or electrical systems, or performing component-level repairs and troubleshooting on technical equipment.
- Ability to lift/move 50lb (23kg) of equipment as required and ability to exert yourself physically over extended periods of time, including frequent bending, kneeling, climbing, pushing/pulling and lifting.
- Must have the ability to work non-standard hours, including working weekends, night shifts, holidays and on shift-based schedules as required.
- 1 year of experience diagnosing and troubleshooting one of the following: operating systems and computer/server hardware or networking protocols.