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The differences between network designers and systems 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 designer and a systems administrator. Additionally, a network designer has an average salary of $84,818, which is higher than the $77,156 average annual salary of a systems administrator.
The top three skills for a network designer include network design, PC and OSPF. The most important skills for a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.
| Network Designer | Systems Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $84,818 | $77,156 |
| Hourly rate | $40.78 | $37.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 66,415 | 134,500 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Network designers are the people in an organization who assess a company's network requirements and design a network that meets the needs. The responsibilities of this position are designing and submitting plans for the network to management, making updates and upgrading the software and hardware where needed, incorporating security features into the design, configuring multiple types of connections, e.g., printers, servers and supporting specialized services like specific point virtualization through cloud computing.
Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures. They are responsible for installing, configuring, or updating network systems, software, and hardware. They also monitor the different systems and troubleshoot any issues that users may encounter. Systems administrators manage the access of users, ensure the security of the network, and address any challenges that users may have. They conduct repairs and routine maintenance to ensure that the systems in place are in the best shape.
Network designers and systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Designer | Systems Administrator | |
| Average salary | $84,818 | $77,156 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $59,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | AT&T | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network designer and a systems administrator in terms of educational background:
| Network Designer | Systems Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between network designers' and systems administrators' demographics:
| Network Designer | Systems Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |