Network architect vs senior network administrator

The differences between network architects and senior network 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 a senior network administrator. Additionally, a network architect has an average salary of $105,375, which is higher than the $89,169 average annual salary of a senior network administrator.

The top three skills for a network architect include architecture, BGP and network infrastructure. The most important skills for a senior network administrator are switches, routers, and troubleshoot.

Network architect vs senior network administrator overview

	Network Architect	Senior Network Administrator
Yearly salary	$105,375	$89,169
Hourly rate	$50.66	$42.87
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	96,500	110,027
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
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 a senior network administrator do?

Senior Network Administrators provide system and network solutions for their organizations. They supervise the functioning of networking equipment and follow strict maintenance standards.

Network architect vs senior network administrator salary

Network architects and senior network administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Network Architect	Senior Network Administrator
Average salary	$105,375	$89,169
Salary range	Between $75,000 And $146,000	Between $68,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Anaplan	Tesoro
Best paying industry	Professional	Finance

Differences between network architect and senior network administrator education

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

	Network Architect	Senior Network Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Network architect vs senior network administrator demographics

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

	Network Architect	Senior Network Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3%	Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3%
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, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 10.1% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between network architect and senior network 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.

Senior network administrator example responsibilities.

Lead IP management specialist and assist with management of DHCP scopes and reservations.
Establish and manage SharePoint base intranet for departmental and interdepartmental support.
Configure and manage SQL database archival requests for automate timely data submissions.
Configure and manage multiple data and application servers and maintain SQL relational databases.
Prioritize and manage servicing of customer trouble calls in locally develop tracking database.
Configure and manage company routers and switches in addition to VPN configuration and policy enforcement.

Network architect vs senior network administrator skills

Common network architect skills

Architecture, 8%
BGP, 4%
Network Infrastructure, 4%
Firewall, 4%
Switches, 4%
Emerging Technologies, 4%

Common senior network administrator skills

Switches, 8%
Routers, 5%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Windows Server, 4%
Network Infrastructure, 4%
Lan Wan, 4%

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Network Architect vs Senior Network Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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