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The differences between infrastructure engineers and network engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an infrastructure engineer and a network engineer. Additionally, an infrastructure engineer has an average salary of $106,438, which is higher than the $83,557 average annual salary of a network engineer.
The top three skills for an infrastructure engineer include python, cloud and linux. The most important skills for a network engineer are switches, troubleshoot, and network infrastructure.
| Infrastructure Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,438 | $83,557 |
| Hourly rate | $51.17 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 91,845 | 72,346 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
As an infrastructure engineer, they're responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining the IT infrastructure using the newest technology and ensure all the systems within an organization function seamlessly. They ensure all the IT systems are updated to support the business to function effectively. It is also their job to maintain internet connections, cabling, virtualization platforms, and storage area networks. Moreover, they oversee the IT infrastructure engineer system administration middleware application servers, like Oracle Weblogic server, IBM WebSphere server, and automated workflow tools.
A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs. They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations.
Infrastructure engineers and network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Infrastructure Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,438 | $83,557 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $148,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Credit Karma | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Technology |
There are a few differences between an infrastructure engineer and a network engineer in terms of educational background:
| Infrastructure Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between infrastructure engineers' and network engineers' demographics:
| Infrastructure Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 13.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |