Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Network Administrator
What network administrators actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
Review monitoring dashboards: one branch office link is showing packet loss. From there, the day usually includes install and configure network hardware and software, manage switches, routers, firewalls and wireless access points, and monitor network performance and security. Usually full-time. Maintenance is often scheduled after hours, and on-call rotations for outages are common.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a network administrator working full time.
- Review monitoring dashboards: one branch office link is showing packet loss.
- Troubleshoot with ping and traceroute and open a ticket with the ISP.
- Configure a new VLAN for security cameras and update firewall rules.
- Patch servers during the approved maintenance window.
- Test restoring a file server from backup.
- Update network diagrams and the change log.
Where network administrators work
Network administrators work in offices, data centers and remotely for businesses, schools, hospitals, government and managed service providers. Some work requires lifting equipment or working in server rooms.
Hours and schedule
Usually full-time. Maintenance is often scheduled after hours, and on-call rotations for outages are common.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Install and configure network hardware and software
- Manage switches, routers, firewalls and wireless access points
- Monitor network performance and security
- Administer servers, user accounts and cloud services
- Apply updates, patches and configuration changes
- Manage backups and disaster recovery
- Troubleshoot outages and document the network
Tools you’ll use every day
- Cisco, Juniper or similar network equipment
- Firewalls
- Network monitoring tools
- Windows Server and Linux
- Cloud consoles such as Azure or AWS
- PowerShell and Python
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- High pay: median close to six figures
- Critical, respected role
- Strong certification path (Network+, CCNA)
- Path to cloud, security and architecture roles
What’s hard
- After-hours maintenance and on-call duty
- Pressure during outages
- BLS projects a slight decline as cloud services grow
- Constant learning
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I like understanding how systems connect and communicate
- I troubleshoot methodically
- I’m OK with after-hours maintenance sometimes
- I enjoy hands-on technology
- I document my work carefully
- I want a high-paying tech career
Not sure? Take the free Network Administrator fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow change management and back up configurations before changes
- Use least privilege and MFA for administrative access
- Patch systems promptly within approved windows
- Lift heavy equipment safely and follow electrical safety in server rooms