Data network technician vs systems administrator

The differences between data network technicians 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 technician and a systems administrator. Additionally, a systems administrator has an average salary of $77,156, which is higher than the $76,522 average annual salary of a data network technician.

The top three skills for a data network technician include switches, network equipment and CCNA. The most important skills for a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.

Data network technician vs systems administrator overview

	Data Network Technician	Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$76,522	$77,156
Hourly rate	$36.79	$37.09
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	117,801	134,500
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Data network technician vs systems administrator salary

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

	Data Network Technician	Systems Administrator
Average salary	$76,522	$77,156
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $118,000	Between $59,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between data network technician and systems administrator education

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

	Data Network Technician	Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Data network technician vs systems administrator demographics

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

	Data Network Technician	Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.3% 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 technician and systems administrator duties and responsibilities

Data network technician example responsibilities.

Manage the day-to-day operations of telecommunication services utilize by DuPont.
Install new or troubleshot and replace faulty Cat6 lines and connectors where need for VoIP install.
Create and run Ethernet cables after testing to ensure they are tip properly.
Inventory all computers on base and verify their connections to the CPU and Ethernet ports.
Utilize UNIX tools and analysis systems to perform call traces to replicate call and data scenarios through the network switches.
Install and implementation various types of servers/computers, printers, and networking equipment effectively provide quality service and installation for customers.

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 technician vs systems administrator skills

Common data network technician skills

Switches, 29%
Network Equipment, 11%
CCNA, 11%
Telecommunication, 9%
Fiber Optic, 4%
Windows, 3%

Common systems administrator skills

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

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Data Network Technician vs Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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