Wisconsin·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1244

Best Network programs in Wisconsin, ranked by enrollment

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.

36 schools in Wisconsin run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,092 people a year. The job pays a median of $83,650 in Wisconsin across about 8,470 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNetwork AdministratorSystems Administrator (Systems Admin)Information Technology Specialist (IT Specialist)Local Area Network Administrator (LAN Administrator)Network ManagerSoftware ManagerSystems OperatorSystems Specialist
Graduates / yr
2,092
in Wisconsin
Median pay · Wisconsin
$83,650
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
8,470
people employed
Schools
36
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
53%
across those schools
Median net price
$21,076
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Wisconsin that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

3 programs in Wisconsin that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Wisconsin (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Wisconsin page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 11.0101In Wisconsin
1,630
77.9%
15$57,986$24,286
2
CIP 11.1003In Wisconsin
375
17.9%
23$48,185$25,250
3
CIP 11.1001In Wisconsin
87
4.2%
10$48,185$25,250

Top 25 schools in Wisconsin

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 16 of the 36 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
1,194Computer and Information Sciences, General$80,56690%45%
2University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Whitewater, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
83Computer and Information Sciences, General$52,99559%86%
3Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
81Computer and Information Sciences, General$70,53083%$25,37681%
4University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
75Computer and Information Sciences, General$73,32164%82%
5Waukesha County Technical College
Pewaukee, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
54Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$46,45044%
6Madison Area Technical College
Madison, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
49Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$54,78429%
7Northwood Technical College
Rice Lake, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
45Network and System Administration/Administrator$41,47356%
8University of Wisconsin - Parkside
Kenosha, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
45Computer and Information Sciences, General40%75%
9University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
La Crosse, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
44Computer and Information Sciences, General$65,24371%76%
10Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
43Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$43,90965%
11University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Platteville, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
42Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance56%89%
12University of Wisconsin - River Falls
River Falls, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
40Computer and Information Sciences, General57%82%
13Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
32Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$36,38951%
14University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Oshkosh, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
29Computer and Information Sciences, General46%87%
15Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
25Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance25%
16Moraine Park Technical College
Fond du Lac, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
25Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance58%
17Northcentral Technical College
Wausau, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
25Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$42,27145%
18Western Technical College
La Crosse, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
22Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$45,07734%
19Lakeland University
Plymouth, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
18Computer and Information Sciences, General$72,78942%$20,76786%
20Lakeshore Technical College
Cleveland, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
14Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance50%
21Carthage College
Kenosha, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
13Computer and Information Sciences, General64%$22,84487%
22Nicolet Area Technical College
Rhinelander, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
13Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance44%
23Herzing University - Madison
Madison, WI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
12Network and System Administration/Administrator$57,22928%$20,96594%
24Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Green Bay, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
12Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance51%
25University of Wisconsin - Superior
Superior, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
12Computer and Information Sciences, General42%93%

All 36 schools in Wisconsin

Every school in Wisconsin with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Wisconsin that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadisonPublic1,1941
University of Wisconsin - WhitewaterWhitewaterPublic832
Marquette UniversityMilwaukeePrivate not-for-profit811
University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau ClairePublic751
Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukeePublic542
Madison Area Technical CollegeMadisonPublic491
Northwood Technical CollegeRice LakePublic452
University of Wisconsin - ParksideKenoshaPublic451
University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa CrossePublic442
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppletonPublic431
University of Wisconsin - PlattevillePlattevillePublic422
University of Wisconsin - River FallsRiver FallsPublic402
Gateway Technical CollegeKenoshaPublic321
University of Wisconsin - OshkoshOshkoshPublic292
Milwaukee Area Technical CollegeMilwaukeePublic252

What network and computer systems administrators earn in Wisconsin

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Wisconsin
$83,650
Mean annual
$89,400
Jobs in state
8,470
What the range looks like
10th pct$58,950Median$83,65090th pct$128,580
Versus the national median
-15.6%

U.S. median $99,130. Wisconsin pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.42×

Concentrated here: Wisconsin employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Wisconsin

Kenosha, WI
$87,110median
170 jobs
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
$90,140median
2,130 jobs
Madison, WI
$91,580median
1,230 jobs
Eau Claire, WI
$83,620median
180 jobs
Janesville-Beloit, WI
$86,370median
210 jobs
Green Bay, WI
$86,050median
440 jobs
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
$83,480median
240 jobs
Sheboygan, WI
$86,670median
100 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
-4.2%
Decline
Openings per year
14,300
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
-13,800
331,500 → 317,700
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Network and Computer Systems Administrators page.

How to become a Network

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionMonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingWriting

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Wisconsin

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 3 majors mapped to Network and Computer Systems Administrators3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 11.0101Computer and Information Sciences, General
  • 11.1001Network and System Administration/Administrator
  • 11.1003Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance

Common questions

Answers for people weighing network and computer systems administrators programs in Wisconsin.

What degree do you need to become a Network?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer and Information Sciences, General, which awarded 1,630 degrees in Wisconsin in 2024-25, 77.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Network?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer and Information Sciences, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. Together they graduate about 2,092 people a year in Wisconsin.

How much do network and computer systems administrators earn in Wisconsin?+

The median is $83,650 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 15.6% below the U.S. median of $99,130. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for network and computer systems administrators growing?+

BLS projects a -4.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 14,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Wisconsin?+

36 institutions in Wisconsin reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do network and computer systems administrators work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Network Administrator, Systems Administrator (Systems Admin), Information Technology Specialist (IT Specialist), Local Area Network Administrator (LAN Administrator) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1244.

Network and Computer Systems Administrators in other statesTexasGeorgiaFloridaVirginiaUtahNew YorkMarylandCalifornia

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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