Network administrator vs information technology administrator

The differences between network administrators and information technology 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 network administrator and an information technology administrator. Additionally, an information technology administrator has an average salary of $73,195, which is higher than the $71,357 average annual salary of a network administrator.

The top three skills for a network administrator include switches, windows server and troubleshoot. The most important skills for an information technology administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and linux.

Network administrator vs information technology administrator overview

	Network Administrator	Information Technology Administrator
Yearly salary	$71,357	$73,195
Hourly rate	$34.31	$35.19
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	106,886	159,499
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does an information technology administrator do?

An Information Technology (IT) administrator is an individual responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed. They are required to assess the organization's security programs and run the system for viruses and spyware. IT administrators also extend support to the organization's end-users and train them on desktop applications.

Network administrator vs information technology administrator salary

Network administrators and information technology administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Network Administrator	Information Technology Administrator
Average salary	$71,357	$73,195
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $90,000	Between $50,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Google	Databricks
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between network administrator and information technology administrator education

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

	Network Administrator	Information Technology Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Network administrator vs information technology administrator demographics

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

	Network Administrator	Information Technology Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4%	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between network administrator and information technology administrator duties and responsibilities

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 technology administrator example responsibilities.

Define, document and project manage the implementation and configuration changes to HRIS applications.
Manage the migration from ADP to Lawson software; adapt HRIS to fit organizational needs.
Manage PC trainers and develop high quality internal instructor-le courses.
Manage host peripheral hardware including disk files and space utilization.
Manage and maintain corporate telecommunications and LAN; recommend repairs as needed.
Manage administration for SharePoint websites including account creation or modifying existing user accounts and site settings.

Network administrator vs information technology administrator skills

Common network administrator skills

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

Common information technology administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Linux, 5%
Database, 4%
VMware, 4%
Windows Server, 4%

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Network Administrator vs Information Technology Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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