Median pay for network administrators runs from $51,260 in Aguadilla to $133,360 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara — a 2.6× range across 507 metropolitan areas. The national median of $99,130 sits inside that range but describes no particular market.
Ten per cent of network administrators earn below $62,640 and ten per cent above $155,050 — a 2.48× band. The upside from median to 90th percentile is 56%, which is a normal amount of room for experience and specialisation to matter. An offer below the 25th percentile is worth questioning; one above the 75th is worth taking seriously.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) leads and Aguadilla (PR) trails, but the gap is modest. For a role like this the more useful comparison is not between cities but between the 10th and 90th percentile within one — see the band above.
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA | $133,360 | $64.12 | 1.07 | 2,460 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA | $129,680 | $62.34 | 0.81 | 3,910 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $125,430 | $60.30 | 1.57 | 9,920 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MD | $122,950 | $59.11 | 1.69 | 4,620 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | $119,390 | $57.40 | 0.92 | 17,690 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA | $118,810 | $57.12 | 0.69 | 140 |
| Carson City NV | $118,340 | $56.90 | 0.94 | 60 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury CT | $117,200 | $56.35 | 0.58 | 480 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | $116,770 | $56.14 | 1.24 | 6,760 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater WA | $112,530 | $54.10 | 3.04 | 800 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill NC | $110,640 | $53.19 | 1.82 | 1,270 |
| Springfield IL | $110,600 | $53.18 | 2.54 | 520 |
| Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area | $110,590 | $53.17 | 0.58 | 100 |
| Vallejo CA | $110,520 | $53.14 | 0.5 | 150 |
| Salem OR | $109,970 | $52.87 | 1.47 | 560 |
| Boulder CO | $109,790 | $52.79 | 2.53 | 980 |
| Lexington Park MD | $109,590 | $52.69 | 2.59 | 370 |
| Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $108,120 | $51.98 | 0.64 | 50 |
| Longview-Kelso WA | $107,890 | $51.87 | 0.62 | 50 |
| Rochester MN | $107,210 | $51.55 | 1.46 | 360 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | $106,290 | $51.10 | 0.69 | 8,770 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic CT | $105,880 | $50.90 | 1.19 | 300 |
| Columbus OH | $105,750 | $50.84 | 1.78 | 3,970 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford CT | $105,580 | $50.76 | 0.63 | 770 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad CA | $105,170 | $50.56 | 0.81 | 2,510 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aguadilla PR | $51,260 | $24.64 | 0.34 | 30 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas PR | $55,040 | $26.46 | 0.55 | 770 |
| East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $60,420 | $29.05 | 0.41 | 60 |
| Cheyenne WY | $64,480 | $31.00 | 1.3 | 130 |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $65,300 | $31.39 | 0.38 | 70 |
| Gadsden AL | $66,910 | $32.17 | 0.51 | 30 |
| Mansfield OH | $66,980 | $32.20 | 0.74 | 70 |
| Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $68,600 | $32.98 | 0.74 | 150 |
| Great Falls MT | $69,130 | $33.24 | 0.61 | 50 |
| West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $69,670 | $33.50 | 1.67 | 210 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater WA | $112,530 | $54.10 | 3.04 | 800 |
| Lexington Park MD | $109,590 | $52.69 | 2.59 | 370 |
| Springfield IL | $110,600 | $53.18 | 2.54 | 520 |
| Boulder CO | $109,790 | $52.79 | 2.53 | 980 |
| Tallahassee FL | $74,020 | $35.59 | 2.34 | 880 |
| Helena MT | $82,240 | $39.54 | 2.26 | 200 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin FL | $101,220 | $48.66 | 2.19 | 550 |
| Corvallis OR | $104,930 | $50.45 | 2.17 | 170 |
| Huntsville AL | $100,120 | $48.14 | 2.16 | 1,160 |
| Gainesville FL | $73,230 | $35.21 | 2.11 | 650 |
| Trenton-Princeton NJ | $97,230 | $46.75 | 2.02 | 980 |
| Sioux Falls SD-MN | $77,140 | $37.09 | 1.98 | 710 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | $119,390 | $57.40 | 0.92 | 17,690 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX | $103,260 | $49.64 | 1.43 | 11,740 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $125,430 | $60.30 | 1.57 | 9,920 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | $106,290 | $51.10 | 0.69 | 8,770 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN | $103,170 | $49.60 | 0.76 | 6,950 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | $116,770 | $56.14 | 1.24 | 6,760 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach FL | $97,180 | $46.72 | 1.11 | 6,340 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX | $101,430 | $48.77 | 0.95 | 6,330 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA | $101,000 | $48.56 | 1.05 | 6,140 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA | $104,440 | $50.21 | 1.31 | 5,530 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos TX | $104,520 | $50.25 | 1.92 | 5,030 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater FL | $101,560 | $48.83 | 1.61 | 4,720 |
Figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programme, May 2025 release, SOC code 15-1244. OEWS surveys employers, so it reports what is actually paid rather than what job advertisements claim, and it excludes the self-employed. Estimates cover 507 of 528 metropolitan areas — near-complete coverage, which means the ranges above are reliable rather than drawn from a handful of markets. Read the methodology.