Network Administrator Salary and Job Information
A network administrator salary depends on a number of things.
Being a network administrator isn’t easy, and it isn’t such a surprise that they get to earn as much as $72,500 every year for their hard work.
However, not all network administrator salary starts at this rate.
Starting with a network administrator salary of just around $30,000 is normal.
Network Administrator Salary – Network Administration as a Career
Network Administrator Salary and Job Description
Network Administrator Salary
First of all, what does a network administrator do? The roles of a network administrator may vary from one company setting to another and a network administrator salary depends on what he does. Network administrators are the masters of the Local Area Network (LAN). It is what connects the hundreds or the thousands of computers of a company in a single building. They are also responsible for connecting computers to Wide Area Networks (WAN), as well as the internet.
Network administrators, then, are the minds behind connecting a company to another branch of company in another place, which could be as far as overseas.
A network administrator salary depends on the network that they could manage, and most network administrators would be asked to manage hardware and software of company networks, monitor the networks, maintain and repair problems with the networks, create and implement network plans, as well as serve as supervisor and mentor to those who are starting out in the field of computer networking.
All of these and more are the responsibilities of a network administrator, and this is the reason why a network administrator salary, especially that of someone who have stayed for years in the job and have been promoted to Senior Network Administrator, could reach even more than $100,000 every year.
Network Administrator Salary and Skills
What skills would pay off in network administration? Skills on managing a network are required for all network administrators. Networking different systems is a required one too.
However, different companies would require that you specialize in networking of different operating systems, and knowing your way around the most popular business operating systems like Windows XP/NT/2000, UNIX (Linux), Mac OSX and many others should be a good skill. And because networking might require you to tinkle around codes and databases, mastering database programs like SQL would give you an edge too.
Network Administrator Salary by State
If you’re looking for the best place to be a network administrator, then you’d be glad to know that most states offer very competitive network administrator salary ranges. As an example, California holds the number one spot for giving as little as $36,200 and as much as $83,100 to its network administrators every year.
The startup network administrator salary of $36,200 is also the highest startup salary in the US. New York also offers a good network administrator salary which ranges from $31,400 to $66,500 every year. Illinois came third with its salary range of $35,400 to $70,700.
Network Administrator Salary, Hourly Rate, Years of Experience and Statistics
In many cases, years of experience could play a big role when it comes to salaries. And this is true as well in the case of the network administrator salary. Those who are new to the job can start with as little as $24,000 and as high as $56,200.
Hourly, this is a network administrator salary of about $10 to $23. After staying for a year or two, this salary could get in the range of $30,100 to $61,600. This is about an $11 to $27 hourly rate. Between 5 and 9 years, most network administrators would have a network administrator salary range of $35,200 to $68,000, meaning that you would get an hourly salary of about $15 to $28.
In 10 to less than 20 years, a network admin should have a salary between $40,800 and $79,700, which is in the hourly salary range of $17 to $40. Staying in the job for 20 years or more could easily get you to make an annual network administrator salary of $44,400 to $88,900, and you are easily looking at a salary of $18 to $80 in doing a job that you have done for half your life or more. Bonuses and profit sharing could even get you at least $300 and at most $15,000.
Most network administrators are male, as only 7% of network administrators are women. However, females generally make more than men in this field, though only in a slight margin. Most network administrators are given health benefits by the company they work in.
Job opportunities include making it as a Senior Network Administrator with a senior network administrator salary reaching as high as $100,000, or being promoted further up as an IT Manager, which could earn you as lower as $42,100 and as high as $124,800 every year.
Network Administrator Salary by Education, Degree and Certification
One good thing about being a network administrator is that you can study a wide range of college programs but still end up with a network administrator salary. However, those who have graduated from computer programs and have gotten bachelor or even associate degrees in courses such as Computer Science, Information Technology and Information Systems are given attention and higher network administrator salary.
Getting certifications is also a good way to up your ante and give you an edge over other job competitors. A Microsoft Certified Professional, Systems Engineer, Systems Administrator, and a + Internet certification would easily get the attention of a future employer, though Cisco Certified Networking Associate, and CompTIA certifications could make your CV shine too.
If you want a network administrator salary, you need to do your best. Because of the high salary, many people would go through the difficult programs in college to get the best jobs when they graduate.
Though network administrators are essential to companies with computer systems, the demand for network administrators is relatively and significantly lower than the number of people who are applying to get the jobs. If you aren’t the best, you must have the potential to be the best, or you might be stuck with a network administrator salary that does not satisfy you at all.
