Network and Computer Systems Administrators: Career Overview
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. Perform system monitoring and verify the integrity and availability of hardware, network, and server resources and systems. Review system and application logs and verify completion of scheduled jobs, including system backups. Analyze network and server resource consumption and control user access. Install and upgrade software and maintain software licenses. May assist in network modeling, analysis, planning, and coordination between network and data communications hardware and software.
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What Do Network and Computer Systems Administrators Take On?
The core tasks performed by network and computer systems administrators span:
- Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
- Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
- Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
- Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.
- Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use.
- Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future.
- Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.
- Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful network and computer systems administrators rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- AI Security Specialist (Artificial Intelligence Security Specialist)
- Application Security Administrator
- Application Systems Administrator
- Computer Systems Security Administrator
- E-Mail System Administrator
- Enterprise Systems Administrator
- Hardware Installation Coordinator
- IT Systems Admin (Information Technology Systems Administrator)
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 132,664 network and computer systems administrators working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -4.0% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Network and Computer Systems Administrators
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $99,018 |
| Hourly median | $47.61 |
| 10th percentile | $61,880 |
| 25th percentile | $80,449 |
| 75th percentile | $117,587 |
| 90th percentile | $136,156 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $114,140 |
| Maryland | $112,080 |
| California | $106,620 |
| Virginia | $106,610 |
| New Jersey | $104,850 |
| Massachusetts | $104,730 |
| New York | $104,050 |
| Washington | $103,990 |
| Colorado | $103,600 |
| Connecticut | $102,600 |
| Rhode Island | $101,900 |
| Oregon | $100,590 |
| Hawaii | $100,320 |
| North Carolina | $97,590 |
| Illinois | $96,640 |
| Minnesota | $96,560 |
| Delaware | $96,090 |
| Nevada | $95,240 |
| New Hampshire | $94,610 |
| Texas | $94,170 |
| Georgia | $94,100 |
| Michigan | $93,500 |
| Ohio | $93,220 |
| Florida | $92,980 |
| Alaska | $91,770 |
| Tennessee | $90,480 |
| Idaho | $88,610 |
| South Carolina | $88,600 |
| Utah | $88,330 |
| New Mexico | $87,140 |
| Arizona | $87,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,170 |
| Louisiana | $86,060 |
| Oklahoma | $85,870 |
| Nebraska | $85,710 |
| Vermont | $85,170 |
| Wisconsin | $82,780 |
| Iowa | $82,210 |
| Kansas | $82,150 |
| Missouri | $81,600 |
| North Dakota | $81,590 |
| Kentucky | $81,520 |
| Alabama | $81,060 |
| Indiana | $80,490 |
| Arkansas | $79,040 |
| Maine | $78,940 |
| Montana | $77,840 |
| Mississippi | $75,090 |
| West Virginia | $73,430 |
| Wyoming | $73,010 |
| South Dakota | $71,040 |
| Puerto Rico | $53,620 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for network and computer systems administrators differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $104,660 | 14.5% | 0.91 |
| Middle Atlantic | $102,699 | 15.6% | 1.08 |
| New England | $99,867 | 4.6% | 1.04 |
| Rocky Mountains | $96,796 | 4.3% | 1.23 |
| Southeast | $93,582 | 25.6% | 1.12 |
| Southwest | $92,525 | 13.9% | 1.13 |
| Great Lakes | $90,924 | 14.8% | 1.10 |
| Plains States | $84,431 | 6.4% | 0.99 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $128,620 | 2,960 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $127,030 | 5,370 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $124,050 | 11,280 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | CO | $122,110 | |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $119,150 | 4,270 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $113,360 | 130 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $113,030 | 19,080 |
| Salem, OR | OR | $109,970 | 530 |
Which Industries Hire Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Most network and computer systems administrators are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 87,740 | $100,810 |
| Educational Services | 35,420 | $83,620 |
| Information | 26,840 | $101,140 |
| Finance and Insurance | 26,190 | $99,420 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 23,550 | $101,600 |
| Manufacturing | 20,950 | $96,590 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 17,710 | $94,930 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 16,560 | $90,000 |
Below are examples of industries where network and computer systems administrators work:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Amazon DynamoDB (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Cloud-based management software: Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Expert system software: Ansible software (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Cassandra (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hive (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Apache Kafka (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for network and computer systems administrators reflects the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
How to Become Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Most network and computer systems administrators positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Information Security Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Computer Network Support Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Computer User Support Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Computer Network Architects (Primary-Short)
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists (Supplemental)
- Database Administrators (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for network and computer systems administrators often complete programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
3 programs across 2 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1244.00 (Network and Computer Systems Administrators).
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