Network security administrator vs windows system administrator

The differences between network security administrators and windows system 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 security administrator and a windows system administrator. Additionally, a network security administrator has an average salary of $82,247, which is higher than the $79,845 average annual salary of a windows system administrator.

The top three skills for a network security administrator include network security, troubleshoot and switches. The most important skills for a windows system administrator are windows server, infrastructure, and powershell.

Network security administrator vs windows system administrator overview

	Network Security Administrator	Windows System Administrator
Yearly salary	$82,247	$79,845
Hourly rate	$39.54	$38.39
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	130,342	94,648
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a network security administrator do?

A Network Security Administrator works to ensure the security of the network systems and data in a company. They are responsible for developing and implementing security programs and protocols, establishing security guidelines, monitoring the networks, keeping an eye for any suspicious activities, or performing interventions to protect networks and data. They also respond to distress and investigates breaches to prevent them from happening again. In some companies, a Network Security Administrator is also in charge of managing network security staff, supervising their performance for an efficient workflow.

What does a windows system administrator do?

A Windows System Administrator maintains the systems and servers of a Windows operating system. They evaluate and modify the system's performance.

Network security administrator vs windows system administrator salary

Network security administrators and windows system administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Network Security Administrator	Windows System Administrator
Average salary	$82,247	$79,845
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $113,000	Between $60,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Sunnyvale, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Portland General Electric	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between network security administrator and windows system administrator education

There are a few differences between a network security administrator and a windows system administrator in terms of educational background:

	Network Security Administrator	Windows System Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Network security administrator vs windows system administrator demographics

Here are the differences between network security administrators' and windows system administrators' demographics:

	Network Security Administrator	Windows System Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%	Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.8% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between network security administrator and windows system administrator duties and responsibilities

Network security administrator example responsibilities.

Manage, configure, and verify available IP addresses.
Install, configure and manage virtual servers in a VMWare environment.
Monitor traffic/mail issues for IronPort and manage the VMWare network system, minimizing problems and maintaining smooth work flow.
Lead architecture and design sessions with customers; initiate technical meetings with customer engineers to further engage and identify additional opportunities.
Install and configure Cisco routers and switches for internet connectivity and establishing an enterprise network.
Perform weekly internal and external systems and configurations vulnerability assessments of all network firewalls, switches and routers.

Windows system administrator example responsibilities.

Manage and configure VPN connections for the users.
Deploy and manage Panasonic PBX and VOIP phone systems and network connectivity.
Manage exchange stores, mailbox provisioning, active sync and monitoring the mailboxes.
Manage data usage, space, security and archival over servers, workstations and NAS machines.
Manage issues with server hardware, networking, web services, database, DNS, clustering, and e-mail.
Manage all OU's under domain at multiple sites across the country through a constant VPN tunnel per client rules.

Network security administrator vs windows system administrator skills

Common network security administrator skills

Network Security, 8%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Switches, 6%
IDS, 4%
Security Policies, 4%
Routers, 4%

Common windows system administrator skills

Windows Server, 9%
Infrastructure, 7%
PowerShell, 7%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Linux, 5%
SCCM, 4%

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Network Security Administrator vs Windows System Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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