Here’s How Much Money Network Administrators Make In Every State

Network and computer systems administrators are an integral part of modern businesses and … [+] organizations, maintaining the computer networks on which they operate.

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The modern office simply could not function without network and computer systems administrators. These individuals are responsible for day-to-day operation of computer networks. Their central importance to the proper functioning of businesses’ computer networks makes them widely employed across a variety of industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), employment of network and computer systems administrators is projected to increase by 18,200 jobs between 2018 and 2028.

Using occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we’ve analyzed and compiled a round-up of the average network administrator salary in each state in the U.S. Read on for a full breakdown of where network administrators make the most money, and where they’re making the least.

10 States Where Network Administrators Earn the Most Money

The national average annual wage of an network administrator is $88,410, according to the BLS, over $35,000 more than the average wage for all occupations, $51,960. The principal industry that employs network and computer systems administrators is computer systems design and related services, employing 67,150 of them. For the top-paying industry for network administrators, however, you’ll need to work in oil and gas extraction, in which the mean annual wage network administrators is $115,290.

Below is a list of the top-10 highest-paying states for network administrators:

1. Maryland average network administrator salary: $110,890
2. New Jersey average network administrator salary: $103,240
3. California average network administrator salary: $99,480
4. New York average network administrator salary: $97,820
5. Connecticut average network administrator salary: $95,500
6. Massachusetts average network administrator salary: $95,460
7. Washington average network administrator salary: $93,930
8. Rhode Island average network administrator salary: $93,230
9. Virginia average network administrator salary: $92,720
10. New Hampshire average network administrator salary: $89,970

For all its well-known and developed tech industry, California is actually the No. 2 top-employer of network administrators. Texas actually employs the most, accounting for 35,890 network and computer systems administrators out of a national total of 354,450. Maryland, however, has the densest employment, with 5.5 network administrators employed per one thousand jobs.

10 States Where Network Administrators Earn the Least Money

The bottom-10 states where network administrators make the least money are largely located in the U.S. South, with five states; the West, with three states; and the Midwest, with two states. Here’s a look at the bottom-10 states for network administrator salaries:

1. South Dakota average network administrator salary: $63,510
2. Arkansas average network administrator salary: $65,390
3. Kentucky average network administrator salary: $66,500
4. Louisiana average network administrator salary: $69,620
5. Montana average network administrator salary: $70,430
6. Wyoming average network administrator salary: $70,650
7. Mississippi average network administrator salary: $70,930
8. West Virginia average network administrator salary: $71,450
9. Idaho average network administrator salary: $71,850
10. Wisconsin average network administrator salary: $74,230

Even in the lowest-paying state, South Dakota, the average annual wage for network and computer systems administrators is over $10,000 more than the average for all occupations, $51,960. Fortunately, for several of these low-paying states, the average annual wage of network administrators has been on the rise. In West Virginia, for instance, the mean annual wage of network administrators rose by 24.6%, from $57,330 in 2014 to $71,450 in 2019.

How Much Do Network Administrators Make in Each State

Below you’ll find the average annual wage for network administrators in all states that had available data from 2014 to 2019. When looking at states by five-year growth in wages, West Virginia ranks No. 1. There is only one state in which average network administrator salaries declined: Arkansas, which saw the average annual wage for network and computer systems administrators drop by 4.8% from 2014 to 2019.