Career comparison
Database Administrator vs. Network Administrator
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Database administrators earn more at the median ($104,620 vs. $99,130), while network administrators usually get to work faster (1–4 years of training). Database administrators keep databases fast, secure, backed up and available. Network administrators design, run and secure the networks and servers organizations depend on.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Database Administrator | Network Administrator | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $104,620 ($50.30/hr) | $99,130 ($47.66/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $60,230 – $163,320 | $62,640 – $155,050 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -0.1% (little or no change) | -4.1% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 3,300 | 13,400 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 4 years plus experience | 1–4 years |
| Key credential | Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate | CompTIA Network+ |
| Work setting | DBAs work in offices or remotely, at computers, with some after-hours work for maintenance and emergencies.. | Network administrators work in offices, data centers and remotely for businesses, schools, hospitals, government and managed service providers. |
What each job does
Database Administrator
- Install, configure and upgrade databases
- Plan and test backups and recovery
- Monitor and tune performance
- Manage user access and security
- Apply patches and updates
Network Administrator
- 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
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with information, problem-solving, working independently, and remote-friendly work. Both are part of the technology field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose database administrator if…
- I like organizing data
- I’m careful and detail-oriented
- I enjoy troubleshooting performance
Choose network administrator if…
- I like understanding how systems connect and communicate
- I troubleshoot methodically
- I’m OK with after-hours maintenance sometimes
Still torn? Take the Database Administrator fit quiz and the Network Administrator fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, database administrator or network administrator?
Database Administrators earn more at the median: $104,620 versus $99,130 for network administrators, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Network Administrators typically train faster (1–4 years) than database administrators (4 years plus experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects database administrators to grow -0.1% from 2025–35, compared with -4.1% for network administrators.