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Network Administration Salary in Tennessee: Is It a Good Career?

Tennessee · 2026 BLS salary data

Network Administration pay in Tennessee

The median wage is $88,100/yr — 11% below the national median. Among U.S. states, Tennesseeranks #32 of 51 states by median pay.

The numbers in Tennessee

Real BLS state-level figures for Network Administration.

Median salary
$88,100/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$75,700 – $107,160
National median
$99,130/yr
Employed in Tennessee
5,070

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS), state estimates, May 2025 release.

What that pay is really worth in Tennessee

Salary alone can mislead — Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100)
91.9
Nominal median
$88,100
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $95,865
State income tax
None

Because Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average, its pay stretches further — it ranks #30 of 51 once adjusted for cost of living, up from #32 on raw salary.

Tennessee levies no state income tax, so more of that pay stays in your pocket than in high-tax states.

Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, US=100), 2024. Adjusted pay = nominal median ÷ (RPP/100) — purchasing power vs the U.S. average. State income tax = top marginal rate on wage income (Tax Foundation, 2025); your effective rate is lower and depends on income and deductions.

FAQ

How much do network administration professionals make in Tennessee?

The median annual wage is $88,100 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $75,700 and $107,160. That's 11% below the national median.

Is Tennessee a good state for network administration?

By raw pay, Tennessee ranks #32 of 51 states by median pay. Adjusted for cost of living (Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average), that median is worth about $95,865. Because Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average, its pay stretches further — it ranks #30 of 51 once adjusted for cost of living, up from #32 on raw salary. And with no state income tax, more of that pay stays in your pocket.

Are network administration professionals in demand in Tennessee?

About 5,070 people work in this field in Tennessee (BLS OEWS). Nationally, BLS projects -4.2% employment growth for this field from 2024 to 2034.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Network Administration nationally — Tennessee pay is 11% below the national median. See the full Network Administration career guide →

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.

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.