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DevOps & Cloud

Network Administrator Salary Guide (2026)

Explore salary ranges, in-demand skills, valuable certifications, and career progression for network administrator roles across the devops & cloud industry.

Avg. Salary

$75,000 - $110,000

Level

Mid-Senior Level

Salary Range

Low

$75,000

Midpoint

$92,500

High

$110,000

$0$200,000
Experience level: Mid-Senior Level

These salary ranges are benchmarked from the role dataset behind Neat Stack's resume example library. They are directional planning ranges, not a guarantee of compensation, and should be validated against current job postings, geography, company stage, and the exact scope of the network administrator role.

Key Skills

The most in-demand skills for network administrator roles, based on current job postings.

Cisco IOSPalo Alto FirewallsVPN ConfigurationVLAN/SubnettingWireless (Meraki/Aruba)Network Monitoring (PRTG/Nagios)TCP/IPBGP/OSPFWindows ServerPowerShell

Certifications That Boost Salary

These certifications are commonly associated with higher compensation for network administrator roles.

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
CompTIA Network+
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE)

What Usually Drives Pay Higher

Scope of ownership

Network Administrator roles usually pay more when the position owns larger systems, higher-stakes deliverables, or direct business outcomes instead of task-level execution.

Depth in the core stack

Teams hiring for network administrator roles often pay a premium for candidates with proven depth in Cisco IOS, Palo Alto Firewalls, VPN Configuration, especially when that experience is tied to measurable results.

Seniority and operating range

The current range on this page maps to mid-senior level hiring. Candidates who can mentor others, make tradeoffs, or work cross-functionally usually land at the top end faster.

Recognized credentials

In this path, certifications like Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) can strengthen credibility when two candidates have similar experience, especially in regulated or highly specialized hiring environments.

Career Progression in DevOps & Cloud

Related roles in devops & cloud sorted by salary. Explore each to compare compensation and skills.

Related Salary Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a realistic salary range for a Network Administrator?

A realistic 2026 range for network administrator roles is $75,000 to $110,000, with a midpoint around $92,500. Actual offers depend on seniority, location, and how directly your background matches the job's core requirements.

What tends to push network administrator salaries higher?

Network Administrator candidates usually move toward the top of the range when they can show strong results with Cisco IOS, Palo Alto Firewalls, VPN Configuration, VLAN/Subnetting, ownership of higher-impact work, and evidence that they can operate at mid-senior level scope or above.

Do certifications matter for network administrator pay?

They can. Certifications such as Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), CompTIA Network+ are not a substitute for experience, but they can improve trust and help justify stronger compensation when the role values formal standards or specialized knowledge.

How should I use this salary guide in a job search?

Use the range here to benchmark the roles you target, then compare the posting's required skills, scope, and certifications against your own background. If your resume does not clearly show those signals, fix that before negotiating compensation.

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