Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for lan administrators in the United States
Lan administrator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected lan administrator job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 18,200 new jobs for lan administrators are projected over the next decade.
Lan administrator salaries have increased 9% for lan administrators in the last 5 years.
There are over 178,959 lan administrators currently employed in the United States.
There are 92,931 active lan administrator job openings in the US.
The average lan administrator salary is $60,942.
Are lan administrator jobs in demand?
Lan administrator job and salary trends over time
Lan administrator jobs over time
Lan administrator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 178,959 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 210,699 | 0.06% |
| 2019 | 151,201 | 0.05% |
| 2018 | 81,563 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 83,230 | 0.03% |
Average lan administrator salary over time
Lan administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $60,942 | $29.30 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $58,934 | $28.33 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $57,600 | $27.69 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $56,933 | $27.37 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $55,950 | $26.90 | +2.4% |
Lan administrator jobs by state
Most common states for lan administrators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 318 | 46% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,712 | 20% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,193 | 20% |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,015 | 18% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 124 | 17% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 107 | 17% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,047 | 15% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 463 | 15% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 200 | 15% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 106 | 14% |
| 11 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 910 | 13% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 133 | 13% |
| 13 | Delaware | 961,939 | 122 | 13% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 672 | 12% |
| 15 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 510 | 12% |
| 16 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 68 | 12% |
| 17 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 848 | 11% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 219 | 11% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 114 | 11% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 87 | 10% |
Most common cities for lan administrators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa | 3 | 1% | $53,473 |
| 2 | Fayetteville | 2 | 1% | $50,516 |
| 3 | Baltimore | 2 | 0% | $67,563 |
| 4 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $75,657 |
| 5 | Albuquerque | 1 | 0% | $54,214 |
| 6 | Colorado Springs | 1 | 0% | $56,518 |
| 7 | Fort Wayne | 1 | 0% | $51,676 |
| 8 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $50,089 |
| 9 | Norfolk | 1 | 0% | $65,252 |
LAN Administrator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of lan administrator experts
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Texas A&M University San Antonio
American University
SUNY Oswego
Lawrence Technological University
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Grand Valley State University
Tiffin University
California State University - Long Beach
Tarleton State University
Dominican University
The University of Texas at Arlington
Idaho State University
New York Institute of Technology
Western Kentucky University
What general advice would you give to a LAN Administrator?
Janice Garnett Ed.D.: Negotiate based on research, develop a career development plan, focus on enhancing performance, professional growth, and continuous learning.
Laura Kier
Network Design and Administration InstructorWhat general advice would you give to a LAN Administrator?
Laura Kier: Students graduating from the Computer Network Design and Administration program will enter the job market with a solid foundation in networking technologies. Above that they should also be able to develop and demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Networking has a strong emphasis on teamwork and being able to communicate well with customers, co-workers and teammates is vital. Attaining certifications in Cisco, Linux, Windows, and security will also help the student stand out within the industry (classes in the program help to learn the knowledge needed to attain certifications). Students should participate in any local or online communities and groups to enhance skills and knowledge and find networking opportunities.
What LAN Administrator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Laura Kier: Computer Networking is a dynamic field with a wide variety of opportunities in many different industries. Some skills that will be more important in general are skills in software defined networking and automation. Skills in the DevOps field will be necessary, as well as skills leveraging AI tools. Cybersecurity is always important and using AI tools to enhance security and monitoring is necessary.
What will help LAN Administrators increase their earning potential?
Laura Kier: Learn to present your skills well from the interview and into your career. Those communication skills count! Industry certifications like CCNA matter. They help you demonstrate a willingness to grow and learn beyond what was required for your degree. Be willing to take on new challenges with your new job and keep learning new skills. It is really important for graduates to understand that talented IT professionals can move up quickly in a company, but they often must start at the bottom to showcase their technical and soft skills. Because of that, they should not shy away from entry level jobs if there is potential for growth.
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Computer Information SystemsTexas A&M University San Antonio
Computer Information Systems Department
What soft skills should all LAN Administrators possess?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: -Ability to work as part of a team.
-Attention to detail.
-Problem-solving and analytical skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for LAN Administrators?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: -Programming.
-Understand algorithms and data structures.
What skills will help LAN Administrators earn the most?
Robert Vinaja Ph.D.: My personal view is that instead of following the skills that command higher salaries, one should focus on a field that you like and feel at ease with. Instead of following the money, one should follow your heart, and money will eventually follow.
Anthony Baron
Teaching Assistant, Associate Software EngineerAmerican University
What soft skills should all LAN Administrators possess?
Anthony Baron: The main soft skills I would say are needed for Computer Science software engineering are patience, perseverance, creativity, respect, teamwork, and openness to learning and teaching. Programming involves a lot of trial and error, researching, and learning better techniques for solving a problem. Due to this, patience and perseverance to reach the final goal in mind are crucial. When it comes to the learning aspect, there are many languages, frameworks, and libraries, and working with them involves a steeper learning curve than others. On top of this, there are often more elegant ways to program a solution, and many new frameworks and libraries are released throughout the industry. This is where patience and perseverance is also a virtue. Lastly, programming and creating a product are often done in teams, where working together and learning from each other is important.
What hard/technical skills are most important for LAN Administrators?
Anthony Baron: The main technical/ hard skills, I would say, are mainly the same as in part 1. Another hard skill that will come through with experience in programming is learning how to Google, more specifically knowing exactly what to search to solve an issue in the code.
What skills will help LAN Administrators earn the most?
Anthony Baron: By earning, do you mean financially, career-wise, or most growth? Career-wise, it really depends on what the final goal is. For web developers, learning the programming languages and frameworks for web development would be the way to go. In general, any experience with programming and knowing a little about a lot will be helpful. Having top-level theory knowledge (some but not in-depth) is also very helpful. It will help you better understand what is happening under the hood and determine which methods are more efficient than others. Financially, it really depends on what skills are most in-demand today. Also, getting a Masters opens doors to more job opportunities, and in some companies, allows for a pay increase. However, this is not the case everywhere.
What type of skills will young LAN Administrators need?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: In addition to their academic skills, young graduates should be able to effectively communicate across multiple platforms and be able to adapt to changing work environments. Given the various means of communications and collaborations that are available nowadays, young graduates should be able to clearly express their ideas either in a video conference or through the traditional email communications. Effective communication will be essential to succeed as a member of any engineering team.
How do you envision technology impacting LAN Administrators in the next 5 years?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: There has been recently a great focus on certain engineering technologies that enable smart systems with fast communications abilities. This has led to a revolution in several technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, wireless communications and cloud computing. Innovation in these fields will be essential in the upcoming years in order to keep up with the social and economic needs of modern life. The benefits of these innovations will have a long-lasting effect on our society.
What general advice would you give to a LAN Administrator?
Mario Bkassiny Ph.D.: Young graduates should continuously seek every learning opportunity to enhance their professional skills. With the fast growth of engineering technology, it is important for engineers to remain up to date with the most recent innovations in their fields. The learning process does not stop at graduation, but instead, it extends beyond college to the workplace where engineers can gain expert knowledge in their fields.
What's a day at work look like for a LAN Administrator?
Oriehi Destiny Anyaiwe: What's a day at work going to look like for a recent graduate?
This pandemic has highly promoted keeping to one's space. A typical day at work be it work-from-home (online), traditional in-person or hybrid will naturally divide the work force into two groups; employees who perform best as lone players vs the socialists/collaborationist. Today, most companies keep as many employees as they can online. Workers are beginning to reorganize their lives around this type of schedule, and they are growing their comfort with this new norm. I think that there are sundry reasons why expectations from employers and employees will have to be adjusted in this regard post pandemic era.
What technical skills for a LAN Administrator stand out to employers?
Oriehi Destiny Anyaiwe: Attitude. Anyone can memorize a programming language and have a perfect syntax, but if you cannot find your way out of a paper bag you do the company no good. In today's marketplace, problems/business are tackled with a collaborative view. Employers will like to hire employees that have the skill set and potential to explain problems/solutions to non experts as well as working amicably with them.
Deepak Khazanchi Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Community Engagement & Internationalization Officer, Professor of Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis, Director, Executive Master’s of Science in Information Technology (EMIT) Program, Executive Director, Center for Management of IT (CMIT), Fulbright Grantee (Specialist 2014; Core 2020-21)University of Nebraska at Omaha
College of Information Science & Technology
What's a good job out of college for LAN Administrators?
Deepak Khazanchi Ph.D.: I think the "best" and "interesting" jobs in my view will be those that leverage emerging technical skills such as AI/ML, data analytics, cybersecurity and medical informatics, with the nontechnical capabilities mentioned above.
What technical skills for a LAN Administrator stand out to employers?
Chirag Parikh Ph.D.: If you ask me, I consider valuable experience over good paycheck. Once you have gained that experience the paycheck will follow. As soon as you are out of college, the knowledge gained is very fresh and raring to go. If put into the right place can enhance your technical skills and you can do wonders.
As a Computer Engineering professor, I would say the job opportunities are tremendous for students out of college as they can venture into hardware field (technical support, hardware engineer, test engineer and much more) as well as software field (software engineer, software developer, software tester and much more). The possibilities are endless.
With COVID and employees working remotely there is still ample opportunity to enhance your technical and interpersonal skills as I believe remote working might stay for a while till things get back to normal.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the LAN Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Chirag Parikh Ph.D.: The biggest trend according to me right now would be digital transformation of workplace. Workplace activities that were happening in-person has now become virtual and technology literacy is going to play a vital role. Cross disciplinary expertise is also going to be very crucial.
Biggest trends in job market according to me would be in the area of robotics, automation, AI, software development, cyber-security and healthcare for sure. This pandemic has created a sense of health awareness among people and we are seeing lot of students opting for healthcare programs (undergraduate and graduate).
What's a good job out of college for LAN Administrators?
Chirag Parikh Ph.D.: It is given that technical skills are required as you enter the job market. In the area of Computer Engineering, I feel that graduates should have a breadth of knowledge in most areas of computer engineering and a greater depth of knowledge in at least one area. Programming skills are of utmost importance, as you might not know every possible programming language or its syntax but the basic understanding of programming logic is necessary.
I personally value debugging skills as a must to have as having this makes you a well-rounded engineer no matter what area of engineering you belong to. Next in my list is technical writing and verbal communication skill. Most of the engineers are known to underperform in this skill. I value this skill, as employers would want their engineers to be able to create technical documents as well as present their design to other co-workers and sometimes to other stakeholders.
The last skill I feel that employers would like their employees to have would be to work in a multidisciplinary environment with co-workers from different branches of engineering and other backgrounds.
What type of skills will young LAN Administrators need?
George Miller: Many organizations realize graduates cannot learn everything in college about their major but want the graduate to have a solid foundation on their field of study. The organization wants to mold the graduate to their company environment with how they do things related to the field of study. Most companies want college graduates to have good communication skills (both oral and written), critical thinking skills and be able to work well in teams. These skills have been a staple for graduates since I can remember. This is why a college graduate takes many general education courses related to these skills and many of their major courses emphasize these skills.
Going back to the previous answer I believe graduates in all fields of study will need a better knowledge of technology and easier adaptability to changing technology. Again, an IS degree is already preparing students for this.
What experience really stands out on LAN Administrator resumes?
George Miller: For graduates any experience stands out on a resume and it does not need to be related to their field of study. I tell students to do whatever to get experience. This can be with community volunteer work, at their college through clubs and organization and with professional employment.
There are many organization and government paid internship and co-op opportunities for students within all fields. There is no reason why every student cannot find some sort of internship/co-op during a summer break. Many times, an internship/co-op turns into full time employment. Often high schools and colleges are doing major technology upgrades within the summer months (because they are shut down during this period) and would welcome a student as an IS major as an intern. But volunteer work at the local church or favorite charity can also provide valuable experience. As I opened with this answer any experience stands out on a resume. The experience shows that a graduate has drive and determination.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the LAN Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Lesley Farmer: Many employees have trouble pivoting to online work so in the short term, tech support and instructional design jobs are in high demand. Data privacy and security are also hot topics and need ed tech expertise. Tech maintenance, including cloud services and networks, continue to be needed, rather like car maintenance. Thinking forward, software development is another area of need, particularly with more online-based education. If grads have data analytics expertise, they can find jobs on data management and learning analytics.
Disabilities continue to be an issue, particularly in terms of equity, so jobs dealing with assistive technology and other ed tech supports are possible. Finally, grads should broaden their concept of educational settings; informal education is more important than ever: in business/HR, libraries and museums, recreational and youth-serving clubs, mass media, government and non-profit agencies. All of these entities are involved in training, outreach, PR, and public awareness/education. Be creative and persistent.
What LAN Administrator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Lesley Farmer: Internships are probably the best option, even if unpaid. Some institutions provide career placement services, and grads could contact their instructors about possible options. Companies, professional associations, and non-profits also advertise internships.
What general advice would you give to a LAN Administrator?
Dr. Lesley Farmer: Get to know the site before interviewing, and remember that even interviews are an opportunity to practice communication skills-and to see if there's a good match between you and the site. Once hired, learn about the organizational culture and develop trustful relationships. Make one memorable contribution the first month, but focus on becoming an expert before changing others. In addition, join a local and national professional association to keep current and network.
Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy
Assistant ProfessorTarleton State University
Public Administration
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the LAN Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy: I think one of the most significant changes to the job market is how the pandemic forced employers to do business virtually if they wanted to do business at all. For non-essential businesses, they had to find a way for employees to work at home if they wanted employees to keep working. This means that jobs that were originally considered location-bound were found to be done remotely, some with little to no modifications.
What this means is that some employers have reconsidered the costs of maintaining physical office space for workers that could telecommute and would rather work at home. Instead of paying rent and utilities for all employees to work in cubicles, they could export those costs to the employee using the spare bedroom they pay for, and home internet, phone, power, the water they pay for themselves. This cost-saving epiphany could affect employers and jobseekers alike in several ways. If a job can be done from anywhere, it means that those who are interested in a job can apply regardless of where they live.
This means a wider pool of talent for employers to choose from instead of just those willing to live within commuting distance. It also means more potential opportunities for jobseekers that might not be willing or able to relocate. But there is a downside, and that is that it increases competition for available jobs. The labor pool is no longer limited to those with skills and experience in a metro area, so those seeking a job are no longer just up against other locals anymore. This means those on the job market might have a more difficult job finding ways to set themselves apart. I think it means more opportunities, potentially, but greater challenges getting hired and a need to find ways to make themselves more marketable than they may have needed to be when labor pools were shallower.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the LAN Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Kate Marek Ph.D.: Probably an acceleration of existing trends - remote working, skill-set based job openings (rather than degree-specific), along with an ongoing need for necessary skills such as writing, problem-solving, collaboration, and project management.
What LAN Administrator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kate Marek Ph.D.: If possible, find a paid internship in your area of interest, which will help expand your professional network and build your skillset. Use this time to keep scanning job ads to identify skill sets in demand; look for online mini-courses to make those skill sets.
What general advice would you give to a LAN Administrator?
Kate Marek Ph.D.: Choose an organization in tune with one's values. Look for a job in growth areas, such as data asset management, data analysis, etc.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for LAN Administrators to find work opportunities?
Dr. Kay-Yut Chen Ph.D.: The traditional tech hubs, such as the SF Bay Area, will still be a magnet for tech opportunities. However, the pandemic has created a work-from-home trend. Many companies, such as Twitter, are allowing employees to work-from-home permanently.
As a result, having all the tech talent to assemble in a few regions is no longer necessary. Living standards, lower taxes, and affordable cost of living will become more critical than before. Places like the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex, with no state income tax, lower living costs than the SF Bay Area, particularly in real estate. Still, good infrastructure and a vibrant and diverse population will become more attractive.
I would also expect graduates' location will become a less important factor, relatively, compared to skills, talent, and motivation, of finding exciting information science careers as time goes on.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for LAN Administrators in the next 3-5 years?
Darren Leavitt: Technology is ever-changing and improving. We expect to see 3D scanning and unmanned aerial systems prevail as the most advancing technology shortly.
What general advice would you give to a LAN Administrator?
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.: As most economies in the world have moved towards a "gig economy" paradigm, it is essential for graduates beginning their careers to adopt an entrepreneurial and self-guided career mindset. Young professionals would need to take charge of their professional development. This means that they must continually remind themselves that the knowledge learned shelf life is reducing more and more every year. New skills and technologies come into the picture. They must know these new skills on their own to maintain their competitive edge in the job market. Moreover, young professionals must view every position they hold to be an added chapter in their portfolio - every position held should be considered an experiential skill added to the resume.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for LAN Administrators in the next 3-5 years?
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.: -The enormous growth of IoT and wearables. The number of connected devices is expected to be more than 26 billion in 2020. That includes things like household appliances, controllable lighting, and much more. This trend is likely to continue as it is expected to see the industry grow to 661 billion dollars by 2021.
-We will be witnessing a more widespread commercial deployment of 5G in 2020. With the implementation of the Standalone 5G devices based on the 3gpp release 16, we should be seeing the more robust mobile broadband deployment of 5G, wider availability of 5G smartphones, and a push towards an all 5G Network in select urban areas around the world.
-Significant growth in AI-based technologies, from face recognition and voice recognition to business intelligence and market predictions. As machines and deep learning algorithms get integrated into many applications, many industries will undergo substantial changes. AI systems will continue to interact with our phones; cars will interpret and analyze their surroundings and intelligently drive themselves. Online vendors will monitor our browsing habits, and Google decides what kind of search results to give us, based on who it thinks we are.
How do you envision technology impacting LAN Administrators in the next 5 years?
Kirk Atkinson: AI and machine learning are already impacting the field and will continue to empower change. Employees must be more ready than ever for life-long learning. This means more than formal education; it also includes self-learning, free and lost-cost, web-based learning, and a willingness to adapt to various roles. The ability to interpret the analysis of data and critical thinking will continue to be sought after skills!