Information security administrator vs network administrator

The differences between information security administrators and network administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an information security administrator, becoming a network administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an information security administrator has an average salary of $81,604, which is higher than the $71,357 average annual salary of a network administrator.

The top three skills for an information security administrator include incident response, security systems and data loss prevention. The most important skills for a network administrator are switches, windows server, and troubleshoot.

Information security administrator vs network administrator overview

	Information Security Administrator	Network Administrator
Yearly salary	$81,604	$71,357
Hourly rate	$39.23	$34.31
Growth rate	32%	5%
Number of jobs	157,160	106,886
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	6	2

What does an information security administrator do?

An Information Security Administrator focuses on the proper installation of surveillance systems in a building or residence. This person is responsible for ensuring the appropriate installment of CCTV cameras and other equipment necessary to protect a perimeter adequately. Their responsibilities include ensuring the protection of all surveillance equipment from tampering, theft, and damage and providing support for the owner to resolve problems with the system and provide troubleshooting.

What does a network administrator do?

A network administrator is responsible for managing an organization's computer systems, ensuring its smooth operations and highest efficiency. Network administrators' duties include inspecting network malfunctions, troubleshooting unresponsive programs, improving system processes, analyzing client's specifications, upgrading existing applications, coordinating with the technology department, and creating a report of network issues resolutions. A network administrator should display a strong command of programming languages. Extensive knowledge in the technology industry and analytical and problem-solving skills to manage network problems immediately is also necessary.

Information security administrator vs network administrator salary

Information security administrators and network administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Information Security Administrator	Network Administrator
Average salary	$81,604	$71,357
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $116,000	Between $56,000 And $90,000
Highest paying City	Roseville, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Nasdaq	Google
Best paying industry	Retail	Finance

Differences between information security administrator and network administrator education

There are a few differences between an information security administrator and a network administrator in terms of educational background:

	Information Security Administrator	Network Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Information security administrator vs network administrator demographics

Here are the differences between information security administrators' and network administrators' demographics:

	Information Security Administrator	Network Administrator
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 62.7% Female, 37.3%	Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.6% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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 information security administrator and network administrator duties and responsibilities

Information security administrator example responsibilities.

Lead enterprise-wide virtualization effort, overseeing and completing vendor/hardware qualifications, architecture/design, installation, configuration, migration and documentation.
Work with auditors to gather the proper information for PCI and SOX audits and submit the information in timely require manner.
Create and conduct HIPAA training program for executive management and general staff.
Establish HIPAA policies and procedures and implement system measures to ensure compliance.
Interface with business managers, end-users and technical staff for provisioning of access.
Deploy new systems and network devices to include provisioning of access controls and monitoring.

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

Information security administrator vs network administrator skills

Common information security administrator skills

Incident Response, 6%
Security Systems, 6%
Data Loss Prevention, 5%
Security Policies, 5%
Security Procedures, 4%
IDS, 4%

Common network administrator skills

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

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Information Security Administrator
Information Security Administrator vs Network Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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