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Network Administrator

Keep an organization’s networks and servers running and connected.

What it pays in the U.S.

Install, configure, and maintain an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers. Perform system monitoring and verify the integrity and availability of hardware, network, and server resources and systems. Review system and application logs and verify completion of scheduled jobs, including system backups. Analyze network and server resource consumption and control user access. Install and upgrade software and maintain software licenses. May assist in network modeling, analysis, planning, and coordination between network and data communications hardware and software.

Median pay (national)$99,130about $47.66 an hour
Typical range$62,640 – $155,050lowest to highest tenth of earners
Usual way inBachelor's degree

Wage figures are 2025 survey data for United States, shown nationally because no state figure was reported. They describe what people in this job earn now, not what any one person will be offered.

Demand in United States

Employment is projected to change -4% between 2024 and 2034. About 14,300 openings are projected each year.

What the work actually is

  • Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.
  • Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
  • Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
  • Gather data pertaining to customer needs, and use the information to identify, predict, interpret, and evaluate system and network requirements.
  • Load computer tapes and disks, and install software and printer paper or forms.
  • Perform routine network startup and shutdown procedures, and maintain control records.

Read the full Occupational Outlook Handbook entry from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Licensing, by state

Licensing is set by each state, so there is no national answer. Choose a state above to see which licenses it requires for this career, or look one up with the CareerOneStop License Finder.

Certifications employers recognize

These are national certifications, issued by industry bodies rather than a state. Most are optional, but they are how you prove skill to an employer.

Apprenticeships, by state

Registered apprenticeships pay you while you train. Each state runs its own registration office, which is where to start when you want to find an open program.

Choose a state above to see the offices that register apprenticeships there.

Search open programs directly at apprenticeship.gov.

Now find the schools.

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