Data systems technician vs network administrator

The differences between data systems technicians and 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 systems technician and a network administrator. Additionally, a network administrator has an average salary of $71,357, which is higher than the $67,860 average annual salary of a data systems technician.

The top three skills for a data systems technician include computer system, user accounts and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a network administrator are switches, windows server, and troubleshoot.

Data systems technician vs network administrator overview

	Data Systems Technician	Network Administrator
Yearly salary	$67,860	$71,357
Hourly rate	$32.62	$34.31
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	158,555	106,886
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Data systems technician vs network administrator salary

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

	Data Systems Technician	Network Administrator
Average salary	$67,860	$71,357
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $98,000	Between $56,000 And $90,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Google
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between data systems technician and network administrator education

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

	Data Systems Technician	Network Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Data systems technician vs network administrator demographics

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

	Data Systems Technician	Network Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1%	Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between data systems technician and network administrator duties and responsibilities

Data systems technician example responsibilities.

Manage certificate revocation list, update expired certificates, ensuring DMS availability.
Promote to QC role within several weeks.
Enter client orders into system and run reports of delinquent customers.
Install, maintain and upgrade Pc's on a Novell network.
Enter information into DP3 system, run batch jobs to complete the process.
Support the successful rollout of borough applications and customizations using Novell solutions such as Novell Groupwise and Zenworks.

Network administrator example responsibilities.

Lead and manage desktop standards project.
Manage backups using EMC Networker and Avamar.
Manage Solarwinds to monitor servers and networks for all locations.
Manage all provisioning and technical issues for new customer IP blocks.
Deploy and manage storage (windows file servers and NetApp NAS).
Manage all technology: Novell, Microsoft, Cisco, email, library, labs, dorms, programs

Data systems technician vs network administrator skills

Common data systems technician skills

Computer System, 12%
User Accounts, 7%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Preventive Maintenance, 5%
Level Troubleshooting, 5%
SQL, 5%

Common network administrator skills

Switches, 7%
Windows Server, 6%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Network Hardware, 5%
Routers, 4%
Lan Wan, 4%

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Data Systems Technician vs Network Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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