Network administrator vs lan administrator

The differences between network administrators and lan 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 a lan administrator. Additionally, a network administrator has an average salary of $71,357, which is higher than the $60,942 average annual salary of a lan administrator.

The top three skills for a network administrator include switches, windows server and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a lan administrator are windows server, network hardware, and desktop support.

Network administrator vs lan administrator overview

	Network Administrator	LAN Administrator
Yearly salary	$71,357	$60,942
Hourly rate	$34.31	$29.30
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	106,886	92,931
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
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 a lan administrator do?

LAN administrators are responsible for maintaining the local area network of an organization. These administrators manage the server that connects an organization's network to computers and equipment that need them. They install, configure, and troubleshoot the local area network or LAN in a corporate office. It is part of their job to ensure that the internet is available for everyone who uses computers to perform their roles. They also evaluate and recommend the computers, hardware and software, and the equipment needed to create a hack-proof server.

Network administrator vs lan administrator salary

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

	Network Administrator	LAN Administrator
Average salary	$71,357	$60,942
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $90,000	Between $42,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Sunnyvale, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Google	CashEdge
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between network administrator and lan administrator education

There are a few differences between a network administrator and a lan administrator in terms of educational background:

	Network Administrator	LAN Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Network administrator vs lan administrator demographics

Here are the differences between network administrators' and lan administrators' demographics:

	Network Administrator	LAN Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4%	Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.3% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between network administrator and lan 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

Lan administrator example responsibilities.

Work with VMware servers with respect to managing user's home directories, share directories, and print queues.
Manage the storage infrastructure for virtualization, high availability systems and data consolidation.
Work within a DHCP and DNS environment, setting up DNS clients and configuring PC's for DHCP.
Configure TCP/IP manually and automatically using DHCP.
Configure and test client workstations to utilize VPN access using secure token identification.
Increase productivity and minimize downtime by supporting all company software, operating systems, workstations, charting/drawing, and network connectivity.

Network administrator vs lan administrator skills

Common network administrator skills

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

Common lan administrator skills

Windows Server, 10%
Network Hardware, 7%
Desktop Support, 6%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Lan, 4%
Switches, 4%

Network Administrator vs. similar jobs

Network Administrator related careers

Network Administrator related jobs

Network Administrator jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Computer and Mathematical Industry
Network Administrator
Network Administrator vs LAN Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs