In today’s fast-paced business world, NetSuite has become the leading cloud business software in enterprise resource planning. With so many companies turning to NetSuite to manage their business operations, demand for professionals trained in NetSuite configuration and maintenance is high.
This post comes as a follow-up to one of our previous posts, which detailed how much NetSuite developers can expect to make—but this time we’re focusing on NetSuite Admins. Since companies need NetSuite Administrators who are well-versed in NetSuite’s native tools and who possess a combination of both technical skills and business knowledge, we wanted to ensure that NetSuite Admins, too, know how much they ought to be making.
So—how much can you expect to make as a NetSuite Administrator? Although the exact number depends on several factors, such as experience level and location, the average national salary for NetSuite Administrators in the United States is nearly six figures.
Read on to see a breakdown of the most important factors contributing to your salary as a NetSuite Administrator, as well as ways to increase your salary in the future.
How Much Do NetSuite Administrators Make in the United States?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for NetSuite Admins in the U.S. is $96,976. Glassdoor’s estimate is almost identical at $96,586. With the median annual salary of U.S. Americans falling at around $70K in 2021, NetSuite Administrators make almost 40% more than the median income.
Of course, how much you make also depends on two main factors: how much experience you have as a NetSuite Administrator and where you’re located. We’ll discuss just how much these factors play into your salary below.
How Much Does Experience Affect Your Salary?
Both ZipRecruiter and Glassdoor show that your salary as a NetSuite Admin tends to increase as you accumulate more years of experience. For instance, the average salary of a NetSuite Admin with one year of experience or less is roughly $77K. That number increases to $83K for the 1-3 years’ experience range and to $88K for the 4-6 years range. With 7 years of experience, the average salary jumps to $90K+.
The specific role you play as a NetSuite Admin may also affect your salary. According to ZipRecruiter, moving towards the consultant side of things can boost how much you take home each year.
How Does Location Impact Your Salary?
In addition to your experience level, where you live is another factor that can greatly influence how much you earn as a NetSuite Administrator. While Silicon Valley does appear towards the top of the highest-earning locations list, it might come as a surprise to see that lesser known cities (many with a typically lower cost of living) also make—and even top—the list.
According to ZipRecruiter, NetSuite Admins in Atkinson, NE earn the most of any US city, with an average annual salary of $125,000. Behind that is Frankston, TX at $118K and Barnstable Town, MA at $116K. Several east coast cities make the list, as well as a couple midwestern and southern cities. As the need for NetSuite Administrators is nationwide, relocation to a higher-paying city could prove beneficial if it is an option for you.
Although ZipRecruiter and Glassdoor don’t provide much information on NetSuite Administrator salaries outside of the UnitedStates, other sources show that these salaries tend to be lower outside of the US. For example, according to Talent.com, the average annual salary for NetSuite Admins in the UK is £45,000. In Canada, Glassdoor cites $80K CAD as the average.
One known exception to this trend is Tel Aviv, Israel, where NetSuite Administrators make the equivalent of $97K per year, on average.
What About Working Remotely?
While it’s possible to work remotely as a NetSuite Administrator, the average salary is significantly lower, with salaries in the above-mentioned Atkinson, NE dropping to $86K.
If remote work is an option you’d like to explore, it makes sense to apply for positions with companies located in the highest-paying cities.
How to Increase Your Salary as a NetSuite Administrator
- Stay on top of NetSuite’s roadmap
Staying up to date about NetSuite’s most recent features and functionalities, as well as being aware of what’s to be released and when, can give you a leg up as a NetSuite professional. Having a broad knowledge of NetSuite’s product shows companies that you are knowledgeable about the entire system, can utilize the newest functionalities, and can offer detailed insight and advice—which can make you stand out among your peers. - Understand the General Ledger impact
Let’s face it: NetSuite professionals tend to know more about IT than they do about finance. As NetSuite users are typically interested in the finance side of things, learning about the NetSuite General Ledger (and how it impacts everything you build) will put you on the same page as the users you collaborate with. You’ll be able to speak with authority to both the technical and functional aspects of the NetSuite system, which makes you even more valuable to the company. - Opt for projects that use payment processing
As both vendor payment processing and custom payment processing become more common, feeling at ease with these systems will give you a competitive edge as a NetSuite Admin.
Specifically, familiarize yourself with the Electronic Bank Payments (EBP) and Advanced EBP SuiteApps. These SuiteApps allow companies to send, receive, and process a wide range of bank payments. An understanding of these SuiteApps can give you the opportunity to contribute to your company in a wider capacity.
Read more about payment-related SuiteApps here. - Study up on best practices for NetSuite change management
With so many tech companies using NetSuite, having a thorough understanding of change management best practices is crucial. If the company you’re working for decides to go public, they’re going to be subject to rules and regulations (like the Sarbanes Oxley Act) that will require this expertise.
As a NetSuite Admin, this is a chance for you to play a critical role by making the IPO process flow smoothly, efficiently, and according to compliance. If you’re looking for a tool that’ll help with transparency, control, and deployment within the NetSuite system, you might consider trying Salto. - Identify your go-to SuiteApps
In addition to the bank payment SuiteApps mentioned above, you should have a handful of other SuiteApps you feel completely at ease working with.
Here are a few to consider:
- Subsidiary Navigator: Easily filter key reports and metrics for specific subsidiaries.
- Application Performance Management: Better understand your system performance issues by drilling down to the specific scripts and workflows slowing down your NetSuite environment.
- International Tax Reports: File tax returns from inside NetSuite itself, based on NetSuite data.
- File Drag and Drop: Speed up processing times by dragging and dropping files to specific NetSuite records. - Adopt a “business engineer” mindset
As a NetSuite Admin looking to advance your career, it’s important that you continue to expand your understanding of the system. If you’re confident with both the technical and functional aspects of NetSuite, as well as with inbound and outbound integrations, you’ll be better equipped to solve not only configuration challenges but business challenges. This makes you even more of an asset!
If it’s something that interests you, you can also get NetSuite certified through their official certification program. - Get comfortable with Advanced Revenue Management (ARM)
If you’re knowledgeable about revenue recognition and how NetSuite influences money, you’ll stand out among your fellow NetSuite Admins. This is particularly true if you’re familiar with Advanced Revenue Management, which takes a real expert to implement and maintain. - Cultivate a deep understanding of NetSuite roles and permissions
As you look to take on more complex administrative duties, having a thorough understanding of NetSuite roles and permissions will be key. This knowledge will come in handy when implementing SOD projects, troubleshooting support issues, and rolling out new custom records or solutions (among many other scenarios).
- Master the art of SuiteFlow
Becoming a SuiteFlow master (that is, learning to build NetSuite workflows) means you have a code-free way to add real impact without the need for NetSuite development resources.
