One phrase you hear a lot when you talk about a career in Network Administration is “the sky’s the limit.” That’s because you can take a career in this field as far as you’re willing to work for it. In other words, your career path over several years has the potential to grow much faster than many other fields. Today, Network Technicians keep the heart and blood of most organizations pumping. Much of today’s business world touches a network (software and hardware connected together and with outside networks), and the health of those networks is essential to the smooth functioning of those organizations. Network Technicians make sure it happens.

When you first graduate from Harrison, you’ll be qualified for entry-level network positions, such as Assistant Network Technician or Junior Network Administrator. You shouldn’t let these entry-level roles discourage you; a couple of years of experience will likely take you to new, higher positions.

What to Study at Harrison

Harrison's Network Administration program provides students with a strong foundation in business, customer service and technology skills required to become a successful Network Technician.  

Important Traits

• “Lifetime learner”: Eagerness to learn continuously, strong level of curiosity and willingness to stay on top of the ever-changing world of technology
• Good problem-solving and analytic skills, especially the ability to track down the source of a network problem and solve it
• Excellent communication skills
• Good interpersonal and customer service skills
• Patience: staying calm and having a level head in the face of a difficult problem will take you far in this industry

Work Environments

The average company that employs a Network Technician is between 50-500 employees. (Though there are instances of smaller or larger companies as well.) You might choose to work in an office setting, which is very common, or as a field technician that receives work orders and is out servicing networks in multiple locations throughout the day. The diversity of work environments available to Network Technicians means you will have many employment scenarios to choose from, one of the most attractive qualities of the industry. This career can take you just about anywhere! In terms of whom you report to, in most cases it will be an IT Manager or Director.

Typical Day

Every day is definitely different, but some of the typical tasks you’d perform include:

• Pulling cable for a new or redesigned network (sometimes many miles of cable in one day!)
• Addressing incoming tickets or work orders that detail an issue with the network
• “Curing” a “sick” network; an unhealthy network takes extensive diagnostics and a solid strategy for repair
• Squelching a virus outbreak
• Researching, selecting and purchasing new hardware or software licenses
• Lifting hardware, moving equipment, checking cables and connections
• You might be asked to travel, depending on the size of the company and your specific role

Typical Attire

Attire for Network Technicians varies and depends on the dress code of the company for which you work. Some Network Technicians are allowed to dress casually, even in jeans or shorts, while others are required to wear business attire, especially when meeting with management. Still others—like field technicians—might wear a work uniform.

Schedule

In general, Network Technicians work in situations with regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00. This, too, will depend on the industry in which you work. In almost every Network Technician’s life, though, network emergency situations occur, during which you might work long hours until the problem is solved.

Money

The pay will certainly vary according to the location of the job, the size of the organization, and your level of education and experience. The national median salary for this occupation is $57,500 - $67,800 and the Indiana median is $50,500 - $52,500. Benefits such as vacation time, health insurance and retirement accounts might be offered, depending on the size of the organization and whether you’re hired as a full-time employee. It is very important to note that while your first few years as a Network Technician are tough, it can pay off in the long run as you see your position grow and your salary increase at a relatively fast rate. “Paying your dues” in the beginning is well worth it for a hard-working Network Technician.

The Future for Network Technicians

Get your sunglasses ready, because the future is bright! The demand for Network Technicians has gone up for years and is projected to keep growing. Many of our Network Administration graduates become employed upon graduation.