Real Estate Agent vs Network Administrator Salary
Network Administrators earn approximately 73.1% more than Real Estate Agents nationally — $90,000 vs $52,000.
Real Estate Agent vs Network Administrator: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Network Administrators out-earn Real Estate Agents by $38,000 per year — a 73.1% gap. That works out to roughly $3,167/month or $18/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $38,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$380,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$1,520,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $38,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $7,562,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Real Estate Agent in California ≈ $61,360 (1.18× national)
- Real Estate Agent in Mississippi ≈ $43,680 (0.84× national)
- Network Administrator in California ≈ $106,200
- Network Administrator in Mississippi ≈ $75,600
Use our Real Estate Agent salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
Other comparisons in Real Estate
Other comparisons in Tech
Related tools
Real Estate Agent salary by state — Network Administrator salary by state — Best cities for Real Estate Agent — Best cities for Network Administrator — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.