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Network Administration

Types of Degrees Network Administration Majors Are Earning

Those studying Network Administration may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	871
Associate’s Degree	1,480
Bachelor’s Degree	196
Master’s Degree	2,013

What Network Administration Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Network Administration develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Network Administration graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Network Administration emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Telecommunications — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Network Administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Network Administration careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Network Administration graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Network Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript	Development environment software	—
Firewall software	Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software	✓
NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software	Transaction security and virus protection software	—
Perl	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft Exchange	Electronic mail software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
KornShell	Operating system software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Operating system software	Operating system software	✓
Nagios	Network monitoring software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Network Administration graduates include:

• Network Security Systems Analyst
• Network Security Analyst
• AI Security Specialist (Artificial Intelligence Security Specialist)
• Security Operations Center Analyst (SOC Analyst)
• Threat Monitoring Analyst
• Red Team Member
• Systems Analyst
• Cybersecurity Incident Response Analyst
• Cloud Security Engineer
• Cryptologist
• Computer Security Specialist
• Application Security Analyst
• Systems Security Specialist
• Intrusion Detection Analyst
• Information Technology Security Analyst (IT Security Analyst)

What Can You Do With a Network Administration Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Network Administration commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Information Security Analysts	12.3%	$111,930	$89,284–$134,576
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists	5.7%	$117,478	$94,479–$140,477
Computer Network Architects	-0.0%	$63,411	$53,790–$73,032
Computer Network Support Specialists	-3.8%	$107,799	$84,973–$130,625
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	-4.0%	$99,018	$80,449–$117,587

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Network Administration graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	45.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	14.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	13.3%
Postsecondary certificate	11.5%
Some college courses	7.3%
Master’s degree	4.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.4%
First professional degree	0.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Network Administration?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 80% of Network Administration degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	953	20.0%
Men	3,802	80.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Network Administration graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,019	42.5%
Asian	201	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	985	20.7%
Black or African American	1,019	21.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	39	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	15	0.3%
Two or More Races	200	4.2%
Race Unknown	160	3.4%
International Students	117	2.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Network Administration Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Network Administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$64,248
4 years	$56,780
5 years	$64,307

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,307 — roughly 0% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Network Administration Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Network Administration. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	31	8
Bachelor’s	10	14
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Network Administration Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Network Administration graduates earn a median of $56,780 four years after completion — roughly 49% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Computer Science	79,857
Computer and Information Sciences, General	67,926
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	57,935
Information Technology	42,322
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance	38,088
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	13,753
Computer Programming/Programmer, General	11,341
Computer Support Specialist	4,922
Computer/Information Technology Services Administration and Management, Other	4,498
Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst	3,034
Information Technology Project Management	2,987
System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager	1,925

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.