Network and Computer Systems Administrators

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.

From people doing the work

It's a constant balancing act of keeping everything running smoothly while also planning for future growth and security. You're always learning new tech, troubleshooting unexpected issues, and making sure users can access what they need. It can be demanding, but there's a real satisfaction in building and maintaining a reliable system.

Drawn from r/sysadmin, Spiceworks Community, Network World

Attribution: Composite

Composite · Synthesised from r/sysadmin, Spiceworks Community, Network World

A day in the life of Network and Computer Systems Administrators

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
85% Team / 15% Solo
Client facing
Never
Impact visibility
Moderate
Travel
Minimal
Schedule flexibility
Flexible
Remote work
Mostly Remote
Typical work hours
40-50
Stress level
Moderate

Network and Computer Systems Administrators salary, education and outlook at a glance

Median salary
$96,800
Entry-level
$63,000
Senior
$160,000
Growth by 2033
-4.2%
Demand
Declining
Freelance potential
High
Salary growth potential
154%
Typical student debt
High

Skills you need as Network and Computer Systems Administrators

Hard skills

  • Computers and Electronics
  • Systems Analysis
  • Development environment software

Soft skills

  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Critical Thinking

Technical complexity: Moderate

Tools of the trade

Core tools

  • Cisco IOS (Software): Manages and configures Cisco networking devices, essential for network administrators.
  • Microsoft Windows Server (Software): Provides server operating system functionalities for managing network resources and services.
  • Linux (e.g., Ubuntu Server) (Software): Offers a robust and open-source operating system for various server roles and network services.

Commonly used

  • Wireshark (Software): Analyzes network protocols and troubleshoots network issues by capturing and inspecting data packets.
  • Active Directory (Software): Manages user accounts, authentication, and network resources in Windows environments.
  • PowerShell (Language): Automates system administration tasks and manages configurations in Windows environments.
  • VMware vSphere (Platform): Manages virtualized server environments, allowing for efficient resource utilization and deployment.

Specialist tools

  • Nagios (Software): Monitors network services, hosts, and applications to ensure their availability and performance.

How to become Network and Computer Systems Administrators

Minimum education
Bachelor's Degree
Licensing
No
Years to mid-career
4-7
Years to senior
10-15
Career switching
Moderate

Where this career leads

How people arrive here

  • IT Support Specialist: Often, individuals start in IT support, gaining foundational knowledge before moving into network administration.
  • Help Desk Technician: Experience in help desk roles provides a good understanding of user issues and basic system troubleshooting.
  • Junior System Administrator: Entry-level system administration roles can provide the necessary skills for network and computer systems administration.

Where you can go from here

  • Cloud Engineer: Network administrators often transition to cloud engineering as organizations move infrastructure to the cloud.
  • Cybersecurity Analyst: With a strong understanding of network infrastructure, moving into cybersecurity is a natural progression.
  • DevOps Engineer: Network and system administration skills are highly valuable in a DevOps role, focusing on automation and infrastructure as code.

Typical progression

  1. Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
  2. Network and Computer Systems Administrators
  3. Network and Computer Systems Administrators Lead
  4. or Computer Network Support Specialists

Network and Computer Systems Administrators job outlook and future demand

Automation probability
Low
AI disruption risk
Moderate
Demand trend
Declining

Job satisfaction as Network and Computer Systems Administrators

Overall satisfaction
7.5/10
Meaning
7/10
Work-life balance
7/10
Prestige
8/10
Social perception
Very High

Where practitioners gather

Conferences

  • Cisco Live: Cisco's annual event for IT and networking professionals, offering training, sessions, and networking opportunities.

Podcasts and media

  • Network World: A leading resource for IT professionals focused on networking technologies and trends.

Reddit communities

  • r/sysadmin: A community for IT professionals to discuss system administration, networking, and related topics.

Online communities

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