Resume skills · Computer and Mathematical Occupations
Network Administrator Resume Skills and Keywords
The software, skills and bullet points that belong on a network administrator resume, from U.S. Department of Labor data.
Updated November 6, 2026 · How we build these pages
What skills should I put on a network administrator resume?
The top skills to put on a network administrator resume are Python, Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office (Excel), along with troubleshooting, programming, and computers and electronics. Employers also look for dependability, attention to detail and integrity, which are best shown through results in your bullet points rather than listed.
- Python
- Microsoft Azure
- Microsoft PowerShell
- Microsoft Active Directory
- Microsoft Excel
- Troubleshooting
- Programming
- Computers and Electronics knowledge
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
What software should network administrators know?
Network administrator job postings most often ask for Python, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft PowerShell, Microsoft Active Directory and Microsoft Office (Excel). Many network administrators also use network monitoring, administration and web platform development software; which products matter depends on the employer, so list the specific products a posting names and you have used.
- Python
- Microsoft Azure
- Microsoft PowerShell
- Microsoft Active Directory
- Structured query language (SQL)
- Firewall software
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- ServiceNow
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Ansible software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
| Type of work | Tools network administrators use |
|---|---|
| Network monitoring | Wireshark, Nagios, Snort, Network intrusion prevention systems (NIPS), Tcpdump |
| Administration | Cisco Systems CiscoWorks, Simple network management protocol (SNMP), Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), Hewlett-Packard HP Network Node Manager, Element management software |
| Web development | JavaScript, Hypertext markup language (HTML), Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP), PHP, JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) |
| Databases | Teradata Database, MySQL, Apache Hadoop |
What hard skills do employers want in network administrators?
Network administrators need troubleshooting, programming, computers and electronics, and telecommunications far more than most workers. Name these in your resume summary and prove each one with a bullet that shows you using it.
- Troubleshooting · Needed far more than in most jobsDetermining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Programming · Needed far more than in most jobsWriting computer programs for various purposes.
- Computers and Electronics · Needed far more than in most jobsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Telecommunications · Needed far more than in most jobsKnowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
- Systems Evaluation · Needed far more than in most jobsIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Systems Analysis · Needed far more than in most jobsDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Compared with the average rating across all jobs in Department of Labor data.
What soft skills do network administrators need?
The most important soft skills for network administrators are dependability, attention to detail and integrity, followed by cautiousness and intellectual curiosity. Show them through results in your bullet points rather than listing them as single words.
- Dependability: A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.
- Attention to Detail: A tendency to be detail-oriented, organized, and thorough in completing work.
- Integrity: A tendency to be honest and ethical at work.
- Cautiousness: A tendency to be careful, deliberate, and risk-avoidant when making work-related decisions or doing work.
- Intellectual Curiosity: A tendency to seek out and acquire new work-related knowledge and obtain a deep understanding of work-related subjects.
What keywords should a network administrator resume include?
A network administrator resume should include the exact tool names, skills and job title from the posting. For network administrators, common keywords include Python, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office (Excel), LAN Administrator (Local Area Network Administrator) and LAN Specialist (Local Area Network Specialist). Applicant tracking systems and recruiters scan for these words, so use them wherever they truthfully describe your experience.
Screening software and recruiters look for the tool names in the posting. Paste your resume to see which network administrator tools it mentions. Nothing leaves your browser.
How do I write network administrator resume bullet points?
Start each network administrator bullet point with a past-tense verb and a core task, such as “Performed data backups and disaster recovery operations,” then end it with a measurable result: what changed, by how much, and for whom. These starters come from the job’s most important tasks.
Bullet starters from a network administrator’s core tasks
- Planned, coordinated, and implemented network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware
- Performed data backups and disaster recovery operations
- Diagnosed, troubleshot, and resolved hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replaced defective components when necessary
- Maintained and administered computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations
- Configured, monitored, and maintained email applications or virus protection software
- Conferred with network users about solutions to existing system problems
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- Operated master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use
- Maintained logs related to network functions, as well as maintenance and repair records
- Monitored network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future
- Designed, configured, and tested computer hardware, networking software and operating system software
- Maintained an inventory of parts for emergency repairs
- Performed routine network startup and shutdown procedures, and maintained control records
- Recommended changes to improve systems and network configurations, and determine hardware or software requirements related to such changes
- Coordinated with vendors and with company personnel to facilitate purchases
- Gathered data pertaining to customer needs, and use the information to identify, predict, interpret, and evaluate system and network requirements
Resume summary starter
Install, configure, and maintain an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers. Perform system monitoring and verify the integrity and availability of hardware, network, and server resources and systems. Review system and application logs and verify completion of scheduled jobs, including system backups. Analyze network and server resource consumption and control user access. Install and upgrade software and maintain software licenses. May assist in network modeling, analysis, planning, and coordination between network and data communications hardware and software.
What are other job titles for a network administrator?
Other job titles for a network administrator include LAN Administrator (Local Area Network Administrator), LAN Specialist (Local Area Network Specialist), Network Administrator (Network Admin), Network Analyst and Network Coordinator. Government job data groups them as “Network and Computer Systems Administrators.” Search for these titles too, and use the posting’s exact title on your resume when it fits your experience.
- LAN Administrator (Local Area Network Administrator)
- LAN Specialist (Local Area Network Specialist)
- Network Administrator (Network Admin)
- Network Analyst
- Network Coordinator
- Network Engineer
- Network Manager
- Network Specialist
- Systems Engineer
- Application Security Administrator
- Application Systems Administrator
- Computer Support Specialist
- Computer Systems Security Administrator (Computer Systems Security Admin)
- E-Mail System Administrator (Electronic Mail System Administrator)
- Enterprise Systems Administrator
- Hardware Installation Coordinator
- Information Systems Administrator
- Information Systems Operator
- Internet Systems Administrator
- Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
What education do network administrators need?
Most network administrators need a bachelor's degree to get hired. No prior work experience is usually required. On your resume, list coursework or certifications in computers and electronics, telecommunications, and administrative knowledge.
How much do network administrators make?
Network administrators earn a median salary of $99,130 a year, according to May 2025 federal wage data. The lowest-paid 10% earn less than $62,640, and the highest-paid 10% earn more than $155,050. Employment is projected to shrink 4.1% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all jobs, with about 13,400 openings a year.
Openings still come up as people retire or move on, but in a shrinking field, skills that carry over to other jobs matter more on your resume.
Median yearly pay, May 2025
$99,130
80% earn $62,640 to $155,050
Expected job growth, 2025–35
-4.1%
All jobs: +3.5%
Job openings per year
13,400
314,340 people work in this job
Typical education to get hired
Bachelor's degree
What’s changing in this field
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects these trends to shape hiring. If your experience touches any of them, say so.
- Occupational substitution, productivity change - share decreases as job duties are increasingly performed by DevOps engineers and similar roles, including software developers, and as workers increasingly use third-party automation tools or artificial intelligence (AI) to automate routine tasks.
Turn this list into a tailored network administrator resume
Paste a job posting into MyCareerAI and it rewrites your summary and bullets around the skills that posting asks for.
Try the AI Resume Builder freeWhere this data comes from
- Software, skills, traits, tasks, titles and education survey: O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor), occupation 15-1244.00.
- Pay and employment: Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (OEWS), May 2025, occupation 15-1244.
- Job growth, openings and typical education: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by MyCareerAI. Full attribution and changes