What is a Network Manager?

A network manager is in charge of the computer system for an organization. The main duty of a network manager is to maintain a computer network with software, provide technical support, and train employees. Other duties include installing new hardware and software on workstations, monitoring systems to prevent lapses in service, and evaluating the current network to identify the areas that need to be enhanced or upgraded. The network manager also has to ensure that systems are working at all times and plan the budget and other financial aspects of the department.

For a network manager, you need to possess leadership skills and strong IT skills. You also need in-depth knowledge of all networks. Interpersonal skills, teamwork, problem-solving skills, and project management skills are vital to the role of a network manager. The minimum educational qualification is a degree in computer science, information technology, computer engineering, or other relevant fields. The median annual salary of a network manager is $106,254.

What Does a Network Manager Do

There are certain skills that many network managers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, communication skills and problem-solving skills.

Learn more about what a Network Manager does

How To Become a Network Manager

If you're interested in becoming a network manager, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 62.7% of network managers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.2% of network managers have master's degrees. Even though most network managers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Network Manager
Top Network Manager Jobs Near You

Network Manager Career Paths

In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of information technology manager you might progress to a role such as information technology operations manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title information technology operations manager.

Network Manager

Average Salary for a Network Manager

Network Managers in America make an average salary of $97,578 per year or $47 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $132,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $71,000 per year.
Average Network Manager Salary
$97,578 Yearly
$46.91 hourly
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Roles and Types of Network Manager

The role of a network manager includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general network manager responsibilities:

  • Maintain appropriate governance across the aig offices, including operating framework
  • Provides expert level experience in managing the day-to-day operation of computer networks including hardware/software support, training,
  • Defines, designs, documents and implements network communications

There are several types of network manager, including:

Information Technology Manager

Role:

An information technology manager oversees the computing needs across a company. They coordinate the functions of all computer systems of the organization they work for and see to it that all hardware, software, networks, and related applications work correctly and efficiently.

They are responsible for hiring and training new employees, managing the IT budget, supervising the day-to-day operations, and troubleshooting the information systems. They evaluate factors that put the IT system at risk and make sure equipment and procedures are up to speed with the latest technologies.

IT managers land the position typically with a degree at hand in IT systems management or business administration and earn something around $152,860 a year.

  • Average Salary: $119,589
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Information Systems Manager

Role:

Most companies, from large retailers to educational institutions, rely on large, complicated Information Technology (IT) systems to do their work. Many hire information systems managers to run their IT department and make sure that they can rely on their computer systems.

Information systems managers are in charge of IT personnel and equipment. They supervise the work of IT analysts and other workers and assess their performance. They also assess the performance of IT equipment, run diagnostic tests to ensure that everything is working as it should, and procure new equipment. Information systems managers need to have extensive technical knowledge to handle tasks such as installing servers and configuring VPNs. They also need excellent communication skills to lead their department.

Most information systems managers start their careers by earning a bachelor's degree in business or computer science. They also need several years of professional experience working in IT, for example as IT analysts. There are several levels of information systems managers and compensation varies depending on one's position in the corporate ladder. The average salary is $131,092 a year.

  • Average Salary: $137,275
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Information Technology Operations Manager

Role:

An information technology operations manager is responsible for providing technical support to ensure smooth operation in an organization. He/she maintains the organization's IT infrastructure and provides solutions to end-users in resolving tech issues. They also determine the organization's hardware and software needs and conduct regular maintenance and upgrades to guarantee optimal operational performance for everyone.

To be successful in their role, information technology operations managers must have the relevant technical skills as well as considerable work experience in the field. They should also have analytical skills, leadership skills, analytical skills, and excellent communication skills to accomplish their responsibilities.

Most information technology operations managers work full time in an office setting. They work at least 40 hours a week from Monday to Friday from 9 to 5. Sometimes they are required to work overtime when there are IT issues that demand their immediate attention.

  • Average Salary: $114,752
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most Network Manager Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active network manager jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where network managers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Network Manager Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,615$122,458
2Virginia1,196$97,985
3Maryland891$94,920
4Texas881$88,793
5Florida734$73,242
6Illinois573$78,934
7New York547$86,975
8Colorado481$85,950
9North Carolina462$90,754
10Pennsylvania451$87,333
11Georgia412$91,551
12Massachusetts405$113,240
13Washington392$113,988
14Ohio318$86,357
15New Jersey305$104,505
16Arizona301$96,304
17Minnesota242$82,820
18Indiana229$83,258
19Michigan222$84,780
20Oregon216$101,673
21Alabama201$83,735
22Wisconsin196$85,418
23Missouri194$88,302
24Connecticut185$97,664
25Tennessee182$84,464
26Utah175$95,406
27South Carolina148$81,393
28Iowa144$89,045
29Kentucky109$93,609
30Hawaii104$95,481
31Alaska94$93,071
32Nevada89$103,587
33New Mexico87$91,480
34Kansas87$82,160
35Oklahoma82$93,136
36Louisiana78$88,509
37Nebraska75$83,993
38New Hampshire73$99,422
39Arkansas69$87,458
40Delaware67$89,536
41West Virginia64$84,613
42Mississippi59$77,737
43Idaho57$95,435
44Vermont50$91,239
45Rhode Island47$100,904
46South Dakota44$103,018
47Maine41$97,741
48Montana35$87,859
49Wyoming32$79,884
50North Dakota31$78,996

Network Manager Education

Network Manager Majors

Business
21.0 %
Computer Science
17.5 %
Electrical Engineering
10.2 %

Network Manager Degrees

Bachelors

62.7 %

Associate

19.8 %

Masters

11.2 %

Top Colleges for Network Managers

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

Top Skills For a Network Manager

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 12.1% of network managers listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.

  • Customer Service, 12.1%
  • Fault Management, 6.5%
  • Network Infrastructure, 4.7%
  • Switches, 4.5%
  • Network Hardware, 4.0%
  • Other Skills, 68.2%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Network Manager Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Network Manager templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Network Manager resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Network Manager diversity

Network Manager Gender Distribution

Male
Male
83%
Female
Female
17%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among network managers, 16.7% of them are women, while 83.3% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among network managers is White, which makes up 64.2% of all network managers.

  • The most common foreign language among network managers is Spanish at 46.3%.

Online Courses For Network Manager That You May Like

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1. Managing Network Security

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Almost every organization uses computer networks to share their information and to support their business operations. When we allow network access to data it is exposed to threats from inside and outside of the organization. This course examines the threats associated with using internal and external networks and how to manage the protection of information when it’s accessible via networks. In this course, a learner will be able to: ● Describe the threats to data from information communication...

2. Networking in Google Cloud: Hybrid Connectivity and Network Management

coursera

Learn about the broad variety of networking options on Google Cloud. This course uses lectures, demos, and hands-on labs to help you explore and deploy Google Cloud networking technologies, including Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networks, subnets, and firewalls; interconnection among networks; load balancing; Cloud DNS; Cloud CDN; and Cloud NAT. You'll also learn about common network design patterns and automated deployment using Terraform...

3. Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, GPO, R. Server Access

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Training For Beginners - Become a Network Administrator in Microsoft Windows Server 2019 with Remote Server Access!...

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Best States For a Network Manager

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a network manager. The best states for people in this position are California, Washington, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Network managers make the most in California with an average salary of $122,458. Whereas in Washington and Massachusetts, they would average $113,988 and $113,240, respectively. While network managers would only make an average of $104,505 in New Jersey, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. California

Total Network Manager Jobs: 1,615
Highest 10% Earn:
$179,000
Location Quotient:
1.12

$122,458

Avg. Salary

View 1,615 Network Manager Jobs In CA

2. Washington

Total Network Manager Jobs: 392
Highest 10% Earn:
$163,000
Location Quotient:
1.09

$113,988

Avg. Salary

View 392 Network Manager Jobs In WA

3. Massachusetts

Total Network Manager Jobs: 405
Highest 10% Earn:
$159,000
Location Quotient:
0.89

$113,240

Avg. Salary

View 405 Network Manager Jobs In MA
Full List Of Best States For Network Managers

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Top Network Manager Employers

We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ network managers and discovered their number of network manager opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that AT&T; was the best, especially with an average salary of $116,387. Nelnet follows up with an average salary of $78,767, and then comes Evolent Health with an average of $96,010. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a network manager. The employers include CVS Health, Aetna, and USAA

Most Common Employers For Network Manager

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Meta$175,144$84.2021
2Amazon$143,478$68.9824
3AT&T$116,387$55.96215
4Country-Wide Insurance$103,216$49.6223
5Aetna$102,116$49.0941
6Hewlett Packard Enterprise$99,552$47.8618
7Robert Half$99,537$47.8520
8US Air Conditioning Distributors$98,017$47.1250
9Northrop Grumman$97,961$47.1014
10USAF Police Alumni Association$97,004$46.6434
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Updated April 6, 2023