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Network Administration Major

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Network Administration

283 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
54 Master's Degrees Annually
#20 in Popularity
$102,470 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Network Administration Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many network and system administration/administrator graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Basic Certificate 2,575
Associate Degree 1,751
Undergraduate Certificate 838
Bachelor’s Degree 283
Master’s Degree 54

What Network Administration Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to network administration were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Network Administration Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in network administration should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Network Administration Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to network administration:

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  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Network Administration Majors

As a network administration major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Network Administration Major?

People with a network administration degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Computer and Information Systems Managers 12.0% $142,530
Computer Network Architects 6.5% $109,020
Computer Network Support Specialists 8.2% $62,770
Information Security Analysts 28.5% $98,350
Network and Computer Systems Administrators 6.1% $82,050

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Network Administration?

283 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
14% Percent Women
39% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major tends to be male dominated. About 86% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of network administration majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 11
Black or African American 25
Hispanic or Latino 64
White 152
International Students 7
Other Races/Ethnicities 24

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Network Administration. About 2.5% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Network Administration Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $87,070 to $111,130 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to network administration. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Network Administration Major  ( 87070 to 111130 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with network administration may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to network administration have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 1.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 6.8%
Some College Courses 11.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 14.1%
Bachelor’s Degree 47.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 6.8%
Master’s Degree 10.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.7%

Online Network Administration Programs

In 2020-2021, 281 schools offered a network administration program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 90 8
Certificate (2-4 Years) 29 6
Associate’s Degree 160 25
Bachelor’s Degree 3 1
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 3 1
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Network Administration Worth It?

The median salary for a network administration grad is $102,470 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 157% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,251,400 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to network administration.

Major Number of Grads
Computer & IS Security 22,829
Information Technology Management 4,009
Computer Support Specialist 3,176
System, Networking, & LAN/WAN Management/Manager 2,077
Information Technology Project Management 2,076
Web/Multimedia Management & Webmaster 887

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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