Operates and monitors the corporate network: switches, Wi-Fi, VPN and access.
Entry
Junior
Coding
Low
Key skills
Career overview
The Network Administrator keeps connectivity alive. VLANs, addressing plans, Wi-Fi coverage, VPN accounts, firewall rules, and the daily hunt for the reason "the application is slow". Network knowledge is one of the rarest and most durable skills in IT.
Main responsibilities
- Configure switches, routers, VLANs and Wi-Fi
- Troubleshoot latency, packet loss and routing issues
- Manage firewall rules, VPN and network segmentation
- Monitor platform health, alerts and dashboards
- Prepare and execute change requests in production
- Keep technical documentation up to date
- Lead incident resolution and post-mortem analysis
- Manage user accounts, groups and access rights
- Escalate complex cases to the relevant technical team
- Follow capacity, performance and resource usage
Technical skills
Technologies
Education level
Education requirements vary depending on the company, country and experience. Professional experience, certifications and technical skills can sometimes compensate for formal education.
High School / Bac
Less common
Bac+2 (2-year degree)
Common entry point
Bac+3 (Bachelor)
Common entry point
Bac+5 (Master / Engineering)
Less common
Experience & coding level
Experience level
Coding level
Useful certifications
Certifications are never mandatory. They are one way among others to prove a skill.
- CompTIA Network+
- Cisco CCNA
- Fortinet NSE 4
Where can this career take you?
Multiple paths are possible. Click a role to open its profile.
Direct progression
Possible branches
Common trajectories
Where can you go next?
Realistic next career moves, with compatibility and a transition roadmap for each.
Overlap: 56% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: SD-WAN, Cloud networking, Load balancing
View roadmapOverlap: 28% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Firewalls (Fortinet/Palo Alto), VPN / ZTNA, IPS / IDS
View roadmapOverlap: 9% · Difficulty: Hard
Skills to learn: Cloud networking (VPC/VNet), Terraform, Hybrid connectivity
View roadmapOverlap: 53% · Difficulty: Easy
Skills to learn: LAN/WAN design, Troubleshooting, Capacity planning
View roadmapOverlap: 36% · Difficulty: Hard
Skills to learn: Infrastructure as code (Terraform), Python, Git & version control
View roadmapOverlap: 14% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Telecom links (MPLS/leased lines), Operator interconnect, SIP / voice transport
View roadmapWhere can you go from here?
A typical progression built from real career relationships. Click any role to open its profile.
Soft skills
- Rigour and attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Staying calm under pressure
- Clear communication
- Documentation writing
- Autonomy
Common previous careers
Roles that frequently lead into this career.
Overlap: 42% · Difficulty: Easy
Skills to learn: TCP/IP & subnetting, Switching & VLAN, Firewall & VPN
View roadmapRelated resources
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Network AdministratorNetwork Engineer
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