Data network engineer vs systems administrator

The differences between data network engineers and systems 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 systems administrator. Additionally, a data network engineer has an average salary of $97,321, which is higher than the $77,156 average annual salary of a systems administrator.

The top three skills for a data network engineer include BGP, switches and EIGRP. The most important skills for a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.

Data network engineer vs systems administrator overview

	Data Network Engineer	Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$97,321	$77,156
Hourly rate	$46.79	$37.09
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	108,729	134,500
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Data network engineer vs systems administrator salary

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

	Data Network Engineer	Systems Administrator
Average salary	$97,321	$77,156
Salary range	Between $71,000 And $132,000	Between $59,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	The Knot	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between data network engineer and systems administrator education

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

	Data Network Engineer	Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Computer Science
Most common college	Northeastern University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Data network engineer vs systems administrator demographics

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

	Data Network Engineer	Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3%	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
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, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between data network engineer and systems 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.

Systems administrator example responsibilities.

Used Jenkins to automate most of the build relate tasks.
Manage windows file servers, messaging, and SQL databases.
Lead the project which integrate internal DNS into the corporate LDAP infrastructure for end user host management prior to deployment.
Lead business-critical information security initiatives involving encryption of customer data.
Authore and maintain shell and Perl scripts to automate administration tasks for infrastructure management.
Configure & manage all switches and servers responsible for providing WLAN connectivity and authentication services.

Data network engineer vs systems administrator skills

Common data network engineer skills

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

Common systems administrator skills

Linux, 7%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Windows Server, 6%
Database, 5%
Technical Support, 4%
PowerShell, 3%

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Data Network Engineer vs Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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