Network support administrator vs network support engineer

The differences between network support administrators and network support engineers 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 support administrator and a network support engineer. Additionally, a network support engineer has an average salary of $86,406, which is higher than the $62,851 average annual salary of a network support administrator.

The top three skills for a network support administrator include windows server, switches and PC. The most important skills for a network support engineer are switches, network support, and OSPF.

Network support administrator vs network support engineer overview

	Network Support Administrator	Network Support Engineer
Yearly salary	$62,851	$86,406
Hourly rate	$30.22	$41.54
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	164,554	113,476
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Network support administrator vs network support engineer salary

Network support administrators and network support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Network Support Administrator	Network Support Engineer
Average salary	$62,851	$86,406
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $92,000	Between $66,000 And $112,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Hologic	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between network support administrator and network support engineer education

There are a few differences between a network support administrator and a network support engineer in terms of educational background:

	Network Support Administrator	Network Support Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Computer Science	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Network support administrator vs network support engineer demographics

Here are the differences between network support administrators' and network support engineers' demographics:

	Network Support Administrator	Network Support Engineer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2%	Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between network support administrator and network support engineer duties and responsibilities

Network support administrator example responsibilities.

Manage VoIP and Cisco phone systems and set up Cisco lab for Cisco/CCNA program.
Manage cloud base hosting for clients including client's network DNS, office 365 and Google Apps.
Manage OS and hardware installations and configurations.
Support DNS and DHCP configuration for corporate and remote locations.
Monitor VMWare virtual machine's performance and disaster recovery replication jobs to Colo.
Perform dual functions within the company: PC and network support for internal staff and ISP support for external customer base.

Network support engineer example responsibilities.

Manage, support, upgrade and administer DNS and DHCP for all devices on the network.
Manage a remote VOIP trial which include configuring and supporting customer premise equipment as well as carrier side equipment.
Manage and administrate security policy and procedures for all VPN network connectivity and accounts.
Create strong relationship with customers by resolving TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP relate problems through remote desktop and on site.
Use various forms of Linux operating systems to create firewalls, webservers, PBX, and VPN.
Set up VLANs and STP guards on core and access layer switches - change configurations when require.

Network support administrator vs network support engineer skills

Common network support administrator skills

Windows Server, 9%
Switches, 6%
PC, 6%
Desktop Support, 5%
Technical Support, 5%
Network Printers, 4%

Common network support engineer skills

Switches, 7%
Network Support, 5%
OSPF, 4%
BGP, 4%
Technical Support, 4%
TCP/IP, 4%

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Network Support Administrator
Network Support Administrator vs Network Support Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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