Network architect vs information technology administrator

The differences between network architects 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 architect and an information technology administrator. Additionally, a network architect has an average salary of $105,375, which is higher than the $73,195 average annual salary of an information technology administrator.

The top three skills for a network architect include architecture, BGP and network infrastructure. The most important skills for an information technology administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and linux.

Network architect vs information technology administrator overview

	Network Architect	Information Technology Administrator
Yearly salary	$105,375	$73,195
Hourly rate	$50.66	$35.19
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	96,500	159,499
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a network architect do?

A network architect is an information technology expert specializing in designing and developing network systems for a company. Their responsibilities typically include performing research and analysis to identify and understand the network needs of a company, planning and performing installations and implementation, establishing guidelines and timelines, upgrading systems, and developing strategies to enhance network operations. Moreover, a network architect must implement security policies and regulations, conduct regular maintenance checks, and perform repairs and modifications to maintain a smooth and efficient workflow.

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 architect vs information technology administrator salary

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

	Network Architect	Information Technology Administrator
Average salary	$105,375	$73,195
Salary range	Between $75,000 And $146,000	Between $50,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Anaplan	Databricks
Best paying industry	Professional	Finance

Differences between network architect and information technology administrator education

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

	Network Architect	Information Technology Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Stanford University

Network architect vs information technology administrator demographics

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

	Network Architect	Information Technology Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3%	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 12.3% White, 61.2% 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 architect and information technology administrator duties and responsibilities

Network architect example responsibilities.

Design, manage and troubleshoot EIGRP and BGP routing environment.
Manage Linux base systems in private cloud with emphasis on LinuxHA, and security.
Manage and maintain servers running various flavors of Linux including RHEL, CentOS, and Ubuntu.
Design the OU hierarchy, manage DNS naming schemes, and create forests' for efficient domain management.
Manage several projects including a 300 person PC move complete over one weekend with a staff of five persons.
Excele at managing major network-wide upgrades; improve speed and predictability of multicast and order-routing data.

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 architect vs information technology administrator skills

Common network architect skills

Architecture, 8%
BGP, 4%
Network Infrastructure, 4%
Firewall, 4%
Switches, 4%
Emerging Technologies, 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 Architect vs Information Technology Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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