Employers

NOC technicians are employed by companies that manage their own computer networks, managed service providers, public utilities that have large network systems, colleges and universities, federal and state government agencies (especially those involved in mission-critical areas such as defense or emergency response), and the U.S. military.

Starting Out

Many NOC technicians land their first jobs as a result of contacts made during their internships or other experiential learning opportunities. Many companies use their internship programs as a tool to identify future employees, so it’s critical that you do your best during such an opportunity. Aspiring technicians can also learn about job openings by attending career fairs, participating in online and in-person networking events, and by contacting potential employers directly about job openings.

As they obtain experience, NOC technicians typically advance on a tiered system (i.e., NOC Technician 1, 2, 3, etc.) until they reach the top of the tier. Additional training and/or certification may be required for certain positions. Top tier technicians earn higher salaries than those who are at the lower tiers, and some may have managerial duties. With additional education, a NOC technician can become a NOC engineer. Highly-skilled and -experienced technicians with leadership skills and strong organizational and management ability can advance to become directors of network operations. Some NOC technicians decide to become college professors in order to share their knowledge with young people.

For job listings, visit

• https://www.npa.org/public/careers_jobboard.cfm
• https://careers.naspa.com
• https://www.indeed.com/q-Network-Operation-Center-Technician-jobs.html
• https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/network-operations-center-jobs

Check out The NPA Journal (https://www.npa.org/public/publications_npj.cfm) and Technical Support (https://naspa.com/publications) to learn more about the field.

Get certified. It will give you the edge over other applicants.