Data network engineer vs senior network administrator

The differences between data network engineers and senior network administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a data network engineer and a senior network administrator. Additionally, a data network engineer has an average salary of $97,321, which is higher than the $89,169 average annual salary of a senior network administrator.

The top three skills for a data network engineer include BGP, switches and EIGRP. The most important skills for a senior network administrator are switches, routers, and troubleshoot.

Data network engineer vs senior network administrator overview

	Data Network Engineer	Senior Network Administrator
Yearly salary	$97,321	$89,169
Hourly rate	$46.79	$42.87
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	108,729	110,027
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Data network engineer vs senior network administrator salary

Data network engineers and senior network administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Network Engineer	Senior Network Administrator
Average salary	$97,321	$89,169
Salary range	Between $71,000 And $132,000	Between $68,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	The Knot	Tesoro
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between data network engineer and senior network administrator education

There are a few differences between a data network engineer and a senior network administrator in terms of educational background:

	Data Network Engineer	Senior Network Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Computer Science
Most common college	Northeastern University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Data network engineer vs senior network administrator demographics

Here are the differences between data network engineers' and senior network administrators' demographics:

	Data Network Engineer	Senior Network Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3%	Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 10.1% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between data network engineer and senior network administrator duties and responsibilities

Data network engineer example responsibilities.

Implement and manage Cisco AVVID architecture to support efficient use of VoIP.
Manage router configuration changes, coordinate site surveys develop i-plans, update NOC and engineering documentation to reflect changes.
Review IOS bug notices and upgrade IOS software as needed on Cisco switches and routers.
Configure Cisco ASA VPN certificate authentication access for company-manage mobile devices using CiscoAnyconnect.
Network protocols include TCP/IP, SNA/SDLC, Novell IPX/SPX, X.25.
Evaluate and improve downstream BGP offerings.

Senior network administrator example responsibilities.

Lead IP management specialist and assist with management of DHCP scopes and reservations.
Establish and manage SharePoint base intranet for departmental and interdepartmental support.
Configure and manage SQL database archival requests for automate timely data submissions.
Configure and manage multiple data and application servers and maintain SQL relational databases.
Prioritize and manage servicing of customer trouble calls in locally develop tracking database.
Configure and manage company routers and switches in addition to VPN configuration and policy enforcement.

Data network engineer vs senior network administrator skills

Common data network engineer skills

BGP, 7%
Switches, 7%
EIGRP, 6%
OSPF, 5%
Data Network, 4%
Nexus, 4%

Common senior network administrator skills

Switches, 8%
Routers, 5%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Windows Server, 4%
Network Infrastructure, 4%
Lan Wan, 4%

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Data Network Engineer vs Senior Network Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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