Best US States for Network Administrators

What moves with you and what does not

Because Network Administrator is a licensed occupation (CompTIA Network+ and/or Cisco CCNA expected by most employers), the pay differences between states persist in a way they would not otherwise. Workers cannot freely move to the highest-paying state, so the gap does not close. That is worth knowing both as a barrier and, once you hold the license, as protection.

Tax and what the numbers are worth

Income tax reshuffles this ranking. Washington appears in the top ten and levies no state income tax, so the gross figures understate take-home there by roughly 3–6% relative to a taxing state at the same salary. Against a high-tax state, that is worth several thousand dollars a year at this occupation's median of $90,000.

The offset is usually property tax. States without an income tax recover the revenue elsewhere, so the advantage is largest for renters and narrows considerably for homeowners. Run both if you plan to buy.

The spread from Mississippi ($82,100) to California ($109,800) is 34%. Cost of living explains most of it — a state paying 25% above the national median for this role usually costs proportionally more to live in, which is why cost-adjusted rankings look different from nominal ones.

Where the field is heading

Worth weighing against the pay figures: Network Administrator employment is projected to decline 3% nationally through 2034. There are still roughly 19,000 openings a year from replacement demand, but a shrinking field rewards geographic flexibility and tends to punish being in the wrong state at the wrong time.