isworthit

Is Network Administration a Good Career?

2026 data · Last updated 2026-07-05

The verdict

Caution — network administration still pays decently, but BLS projects the role to decline as cloud and automation absorb traditional on-prem work. Worth it only if you treat it as a stepping stone and continuously move toward cloud, security, or DevOps.

The numbers behind the verdict

The pay and outlook that back up the call above — real BLS figures, not a salary table to browse.

Median salary
$99,130/yr
Job growth
-4.2% (2024-2034, declining)
Cost to enter
$39,000

bachelor's degree (4 yr public in-state)

Payback period
~0.4 yr of median pay to recoup tuition
More BLS detail (pay range, employment, entry education)
Typical pay range (25th–75th pct)
$78,010 – $126,640
People employed (U.S.)
314,340
Avg. annual openings
~14,300
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Salary: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS). Growth: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034. Cost & payback estimated from NCES tuition (AY2022–23); payback is a simplified tuition-to-median-pay proxy and excludes aid and opportunity cost.

Pay varies by state: Network Administration earns from $74,490 in West Virginia to $118,290 in Maryland. See your state — adjusted for cost of living & tax.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Decent pay for the required education
  • Solid technical foundation for IT careers
  • Certifications over degrees for entry
  • Skills transfer toward cloud and security
  • Every organization needs networking know-how

Cons

  • BLS projects the role to decline
  • Cloud and automation absorbing on-prem work
  • On-call and outage pressure
  • Requires constant re-skilling to stay relevant
  • Risk of stagnation without moving up

Who it's for

✓ A good fit if…

  • People who'll keep moving toward cloud/security/DevOps
  • Those wanting an IT foundation
  • Anyone treating it as a stepping stone

✗ Probably not if…

  • People expecting the traditional role to stay stable
  • Those unwilling to continuously re-skill

What people are actually asking

Real Reddit discussions on whether Network Administration is worth it — titles link to the original threads.

FAQ

Is network administration a dying career?

It's declining, per BLS projections, as cloud and automation absorb traditional on-prem work. It still pays decently and builds a solid IT foundation, but it's worth pursuing mainly as a stepping stone toward cloud, security, or DevOps rather than a long-term destination.

How much does a network administrator make?

The median annual wage is $99,130 (BLS OEWS, May 2024 release), with the middle 50% earning between $78,010 and $126,640.

What's the job outlook for a network administrator?

BLS projects -4.2% (2024-2034, declining) in employment from 2024 to 2034, with about 14k openings per year on average.

Network Administration salary by state

Tap a state for its median pay adjusted for cost of living and state income tax — 51 states with BLS data, highest first.

Sources