Network Operations Center (NOC) Technician
Impact: Operational stability, business continuity, and data integrity.
Monitor, analyze, troubleshoot, and maintain network systems to ensure optimal performance and availability. Respond to alerts, resolve incidents, and perform routine maintenance tasks on network infrastructure.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- Team
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Minimal
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 40-50 hours per week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $76,220
- Entry-level
- $55,000
- Senior
- $95,000
- Growth by 2033
- 1% to 2% (Slower than average)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- High
- Typical student debt
- $15,000 - $30,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Network Monitoring Software
- Network Security
- Operating System Software
- Troubleshooting
- Telecommunications Knowledge
Soft skills
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Problem Sensitivity
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Associate's degree or equivalent experience
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 4
- Years to senior
- 8
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- NOC Technician
- Network Administrator
- Network Engineer
- Senior Network Engineer
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 15% to low risk due to complex troubleshooting and problem-solving tasks requiring human judgment.
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.2/10
- Meaning
- 3/10
- Work-life balance
- 2.8/10
- Prestige
- 6.5/10
- Social perception
- Low