UK

United Kingdom · Technology and data · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Network Administrator

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toSenior Network Administrator
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Network Engineer (Mid-Level) · Infrastructure Engineer (Networks) · Systems & Network Support Specialist

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals Pearson Education Ltd · Level 3 · covers 2 of 10 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals Pearson Education Ltd · Level 2 · covers 2 of 10 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 4 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals Pearson Education Ltd · Level 4 · covers 2 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma For ICT Professionals (Systems and Principles) City & Guilds Limited · Level 4 · covers 2 of 10 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles Pearson Education Ltd · Level 3 · covers 2 of 10 standards
EAL Level 2 Certificate In Engineering Technologies Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · Level 2 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Cisco CCNP Troubleshooting Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals
Networking Infrastructure City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma For ICT Professionals (Systems and Principles)
Managing Networks Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles
Leading a team in Engineering EAL Level 2 Certificate In Engineering Technologies

The future skills this job leans on

Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Trust Fluency keeping the digital world safe
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Your Plan Illustration

Built for Network Administrator

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Cisco CCNP Troubleshooting Pearson Education Ltd · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 3
  2. Networking Infrastructure City & Guilds Limited · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 4
  3. Managing Networks Pearson Education Ltd · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 3
  4. Leading a team in Engineering Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 2
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Network Administrator?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Network Automation with Python & Ansible
  • Cloud Networking Fundamentals (Multi-Cloud)
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Network Administrator plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

A network administrator keeps computer networks running, fixing problems and making sure systems connect properly.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Cisco IOS/NX-OS Intermediate

Configuring VLANs, port security, troubleshooting interface issues, managing basic routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP), and following runbooks for device setup on our Cisco switches and routers.

Fortinet FortiOS (FortiGate) Intermediate

Implementing pre-approved firewall rules, managing basic site-to-site VPN tunnels, responding to security alerts, and reviewing logs on our FortiGate firewalls.

PRTG / Zabbix Intermediate

Monitoring device health from dashboards, acknowledging alerts, performing Level 1 troubleshooting based on documentation, and generating basic network performance reports.

Wireshark Intermediate

Capturing and applying basic display filters to identify common network issues like TCP retransmissions, DNS errors, or slow application responses by analysing packet flows.

Python (Basic Scripting) Basic

Reading and modifying simple scripts to automate repetitive tasks like backing up device configurations, checking device health, or parsing log files. You won't be writing complex applications, but basic scripting helps a lot.

AWS VPC / Azure VNet Basic

Deploying basic cloud network components (VPCs, subnets, security groups) from existing templates, and understanding how our on-prem network connects to our cloud environments.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Network Incident Resolution (P1/P2) Escalate to Network Administrator or Senior for diagnosis and resolution; assist with data gathering. Diagnose and resolve independently using established runbooks and troubleshooting methodologies. Escalate if root cause is unclear or requires architectural change. Lead incident response, coordinate multiple teams, make real-time tactical decisions to restore service, and delegate tasks to junior staff.
Configuration Changes (Routine) Execute changes under direct supervision, following detailed step-by-step instructions. Plan and execute routine changes (e.g., port activations, basic firewall rules) independently, adhering to change control processes. Seek peer review for critical changes. Design, plan, and execute complex configuration changes (e.g., routing protocol adjustments, new VLAN deployments). Approve routine changes made by junior staff.
Tool/Technology Selection No authority. Use tools as instructed. Research and propose specific tools or features to improve existing processes (e.g., a new Wireshark plugin, a scripting library). Decision made by Senior or Lead. Evaluate and recommend new network technologies or significant upgrades. Lead proof-of-concept projects. Decision made with Lead or Manager input.
Budget Allocation No budget authority. Report needs to supervisor. Can recommend purchases for small items (e.g., specific cables, transceivers) up to £500, requiring approval from Senior Administrator or Manager. Manage small project budgets up to £5K. Recommend larger purchases (e.g., new access points, small switches) to Lead or Manager.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Ticket Resolution Time (Network Incidents)
How quickly you resolve network-related support tickets from the service desk.
Target · 90% of P1/P2 tickets resolved within SLA (typically 2-4 hours for P1, 8-24 hours for P2)

You pick up a 'network down in building A' ticket at 9 AM, identify a faulty switch, replace it, and confirm connectivity by 10:30 AM, well within the 2-hour P1 SLA.

Change Success Rate
The percentage of network configuration changes you make that go through without causing an incident or requiring a rollback.
Target · >99% of changes implemented successfully without incident

Out of 50 planned firewall rule changes or switch port activations this month, 49 went perfectly, and one caused a minor connectivity issue that you quickly fixed without a major outage.

Device Uptime for Assigned Infrastructure
Maintaining high availability for the specific routers, switches, and firewalls you're responsible for.
Target · 99.95% uptime for critical network devices

Your assigned core switch has been online for 720 hours this month, with only 15 minutes of downtime due to a planned firmware upgrade, hitting the 99.95% target.

Network Monitoring Alert Response
How quickly you acknowledge and begin troubleshooting critical alerts generated by our network monitoring systems.
Target · 95% of critical alerts acknowledged within 15 minutes

The monitoring system flags a WAN link as down at 10:00 AM; you acknowledge the alert and start diagnosis by 10:07 AM, well within the 15-minute window.

Quality of Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis
How thoroughly you investigate network issues, identify the actual root cause, and propose lasting solutions.
  • Your incident reports clearly detail the problem, the steps taken to diagnose, the root cause, and preventative measures. You're not just putting out fires
  • you're figuring out why they started. Senior team members rarely need to re-investigate your closed tickets.
Proactive Issue Identification
Your ability to spot potential network problems before they become critical incidents, often using monitoring tools or your own intuition.
  • You flag a switch port with increasing error rates to your manager before it causes an outage. You notice unusual traffic patterns and investigate them, preventing a broadcast storm. You suggest optimisations based on observed network behaviour.
Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
How well you contribute to and maintain our network documentation, making it easier for others (and future you!) to understand and troubleshoot.
  • New configurations are always documented in our wiki. Troubleshooting steps for recurring issues are added to our knowledge base. You update network diagrams after changes. Junior team members can follow your documentation to resolve issues.
Collaboration with Peer Teams
How effectively you work with other IT teams (e.g., Servers, Service Desk) to resolve issues that cross domain boundaries.
  • Other teams comment positively on your willingness to help and your clear communication during joint troubleshooting. You proactively reach out to the Server team when you suspect an application issue, rather than just closing a ticket as 'not network related'.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Solving Complex Puzzles

You get a real kick out of figuring out why something isn't working, especially when it's a tricky, intermittent network issue that's stumped others. That moment when you finally pinpoint the root cause is genuinely satisfying.

Spending an hour with Wireshark, sifting through packets to find the exact TCP retransmission causing an application slowdown, then implementing a fix.

Keeping Things Running Smoothly

You're motivated by the idea of providing a stable, reliable network that just 'works' for everyone. You take pride in the fact that your proactive work prevents outages.

Implementing a new monitoring alert that catches a potential link saturation before it impacts users, or successfully completing a complex firewall migration without a single interruption.

Continuous Learning & Skill Development

The network world changes constantly, and you're eager to keep up. You enjoy learning new protocols, getting hands-on with new hardware, or diving into scripting to automate tasks.

Spending your lunch break researching a new feature in Cisco IOS-XE, or experimenting with a Python script to pull device configurations automatically.

What frustrates people
  • Being the 'blame deflector' for every IT problem, even when it's clearly not network-related.
  • The constant need for after-hours work for changes and upgrades, disrupting personal plans.
  • Dealing with 'Shadow IT' – rogue devices or configurations causing unexpected problems.
  • Receiving vague support tickets that lack crucial information, requiring extensive follow-up.
  • Having to support ancient, out-of-warranty legacy gear because there's no budget for a refresh.
  • Being criticised for poor documentation while simultaneously being given no time to create or update it due to constant firefighting.
What this role does not give you
  • A strict 9-5 schedule with no out-of-hours work.
  • A role where you're always building new, greenfield networks (there's plenty of maintenance).
  • A job where you're never questioned or blamed for issues outside your control.
  • A position with unlimited budget for the latest and greatest hardware.

8Who you work with

This role directly impacts the operational continuity and performance of our entire organisation. A well-maintained network means employees can work efficiently, applications run smoothly, and our customers experience uninterrupted service. Poor network administration, on the other hand, can lead to widespread outages, significant productivity losses, and reputational damage. You're essentially the backbone of our digital operations.

Inside the business
  • IT Service Desk (for incident handover)
  • Server & Systems Team (for application connectivity)
  • Security Operations (for firewall rule changes)
  • End-users (when troubleshooting connectivity issues)
Outside the business
  • Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
  • Hardware Vendors (Cisco, Fortinet, etc.)
  • Managed Service Providers (for specific outsourced services)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • At least 2 years of hands-on experience in a network support or administration role, dealing with enterprise-grade equipment.
  • Proven ability to troubleshoot network connectivity issues from Layer 1 to Layer 4 (physical to transport layer).
  • Experience with command-line interfaces (CLI) for network devices (e.g., Cisco IOS).
  • A solid grasp of subnetting, IP addressing, and VLANs.
  • Demonstrable experience following change control procedures and documenting network changes.
  • A genuine curiosity for how networks work and a drive to solve problems.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Troubleshooting Methodologies

As networks become more complex, traditional troubleshooting methods sometimes fall short. You'll need to move beyond simple 'ping and traceroute' to more sophisticated, data-driven approaches, correlating information from multiple sources.

Structured Troubleshooting Frameworks · Flow Analysis (NetFlow/IPFIX) · Application Performance Monitoring (APM) · Log Aggregation & Analysis

  • This week: Review advanced Wireshark filtering techniques and become proficient with them.
  • This month: Research NetFlow/IPFIX and how it's used for network visibility. See if you can get a trial of a flow analysis tool.
  • Month 2: Work with the Security team to understand how they use SIEMs (Security Information and Event Management) for log analysis.
  • Month 3: Shadow a Senior Network Administrator during a complex incident to observe their troubleshooting approach.

Quick win: Master advanced Wireshark filters beyond the basics. Being able to quickly isolate specific conversations or protocol errors in a large capture is invaluable.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly engage with industry blogs, forums (like Reddit's r/networking), and technical communities to stay current.
  • Participate in online courses or workshops on new network technologies, especially in automation or cloud networking.
  • Attend vendor webinars or local user groups for Cisco, Fortinet, or cloud providers.
  • Set up a home lab (physical or virtual) to experiment with new configurations and troubleshoot scenarios without impacting production.
  • Seek out opportunities to shadow senior engineers on complex projects or incident calls.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Network Automation with Python & Ansible

Manual configuration is slow, error-prone, and doesn't scale. Our competitors are already automating large parts of their network operations. Analysts who figure this out will outproduce peers 3:1, and frankly, it's more fun than repetitive CLI commands.

  • Idempotency
  • Version Control (Git)
  • Ansible Playbooks
  • Python Libraries (Netmiko, NAPALM)

Cloud Networking Fundamentals (Multi-Cloud)

Our business is increasingly moving to the cloud, and frankly, so is everyone else's. Understanding how networks work in AWS and Azure isn't a 'nice-to-have' anymore; it's becoming a core part of our infrastructure. You'll need to know how our on-prem network talks to the cloud.

  • VPC/VNet Design
  • Security Groups & Network ACLs
  • Hybrid Connectivity (Direct Connect/ExpressRoute)
  • Cloud Routing & Gateways

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • TCP/IP Suite Mastery
  • Dynamic Routing Protocols
  • Network Security Principles
  • High Availability & Disaster Recovery Concepts
  • Packet Analysis

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    From Associate Network Technician

    2-3 years

    Skills to master

    • Independent troubleshooting of common network issues, basic configuration of routers/switches/firewalls, adherence to change control, clear incident reporting.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Can resolve 90% of Level 1/2 tickets without escalation.
    • Consistently implements changes without errors.
    • Proactively identifies minor network issues from monitoring alerts.
    • Demonstrates a solid understanding of TCP/IP fundamentals and subnetting.
  2. 2

    From IT Support Specialist (with Network Focus)

    3-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Deep dive into network protocols (OSPF, BGP basics), advanced troubleshooting tools (Wireshark), understanding network security principles, basic scripting.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Has taken on network-specific tasks beyond basic connectivity.
    • Can diagnose issues beyond the desktop, into the network infrastructure.
    • Has completed network-specific certifications (e.g., Network+, CCNA).
    • Shows a clear passion and aptitude for network technologies.
  3. 3

    From Technical Apprenticeship (Level 4/5)

    1-2 years post-apprenticeship

    Skills to master

    • Applying theoretical knowledge to real-world enterprise networks, managing production systems, working within ITIL frameworks, independent problem-solving.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully completed all apprenticeship modules related to networking.
    • Has practical experience with network devices in a work placement.
    • Demonstrates maturity and responsibility in handling IT systems.
    • Eager to take on more responsibility and ownership of network segments.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to network engineering, network architecture, or managing a network engineering team.

16Pay and demand

Pay & demand

Typical pay £35,259 a year Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 (provisional), under the Open Government Licence v3.0

The figure is the median for full-time employees in the ONS occupation this job title codes to (IT operations technicians), from the April 2025 survey, about six months old when published, as ASHE always is. It is that occupation's middle, not this role's. Half earn more.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Network Administrator is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Cisco CCNP Troubleshooting, worked against Network Administrator.

Cisco CCNP Troubleshooting Level 3

Applied to your work in Network Administrator

The objective of this unit is to develop learners' abilities in planning maintenance and troubleshooting complex enterprise networks. Learners will understand troubleshooting processes, implement maintenance tools, and maintain campus switched solutions, ensuring network stability and performance through effective diagnosis and resolution of network issues.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

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See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Network Administrator
  • TCP/IP Suite Mastery
  • Dynamic Routing Protocols
  • Network Security Principles
  • High Availability & Disaster Recovery Concepts
  • Packet Analysis
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

17The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Network Administrator is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Senior Network Administrator

    3-5 years in current role

    From OFQUAL 5-6 to OFQUAL 6-7

    • Designing and implementing complex routing and switching topologies.
    • Leading firewall migrations and advanced security policy deployment.
    • Architecting high-availability solutions.
    • Advanced network automation with Ansible/Python for large-scale deployments.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Imagine having a super-smart assistant that handles the tedious, repetitive parts of network administration. That's what AI can do for you. It's not about replacing your job; it's about making your job easier, faster, and letting you focus on the interesting, complex stuff.

In Technical_roles, especially in network administration, there's a lot of repetitive configuration, log analysis, and documentation. AI tools are getting incredibly good at automating these tasks, freeing you up to troubleshoot those tricky 'asymmetric routing' issues or design better solutions. We're actively exploring and integrating these tools to give our team an edge.

Config Generation & Validation

Use AI assistants to quickly generate boilerplate configurations for new devices or specific features (like a new VLAN or VPN tunnel) based on our established templates. Even better, AI can audit existing configurations against security baselines (e.g., CIS benchmarks) and flag any deviations, saving you hours of manual checking. It's like having a hyper-vigilant peer reviewer on demand.

AIOps for Predictive Analysis

Instead of just reacting to alerts, imagine a system that tells you a WAN link is likely to become saturated next week, or that a specific switch port is showing early signs of failure. AIOps platforms ingest all our network telemetry data to predict future issues, moving you from reactive firefighting to proactive problem prevention. It means fewer 2 AM calls.

Vulnerability & Doc Synthesis

When a new CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) report drops, you can feed it to an AI tool along with our network device inventory. Ask it to summarise the risk, identify exactly which of our devices are affected, and outline the vendor's recommended mitigation steps. It'll save you hours of sifting through dense security advisories and cross-referencing against our asset list.

Outage Report Translation

After you've just battled a major network outage, the last thing you want to do is write a lengthy, non-technical executive summary. Feed your technical timeline ('BGP session dropped due to malformed attribute, cleared session, routes reconverged') into an AI model and ask it to generate a clear, concise, business-friendly report for stakeholders. It's a massive time-saver for post-incident comms.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Network Administrator?

Common routes in include From Associate Network Technician (2-3 years), From IT Support Specialist (with Network Focus) (3-4 years) and From Technical Apprenticeship (Level 4/5) (1-2 years post-apprenticeship). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Network Administrator progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior Network Administrator (3-5 years in current role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Network Administrator?

Increasingly, Network Automation with Python & Ansible and Cloud Networking Fundamentals (Multi-Cloud). These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

18Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 2

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in technology and data

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

Networking knowledge, troubleshooting, automation and cloud skills transfer across most industries. Every organisation relies on a working network, so this expertise applies in finance, e-commerce, healthcare or the public sector.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Network Administrator plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.