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.
You’ll need to be skilled in interacting with computers, making decisions and solving problems, updating and using relevant knowledge, getting information, organizing, planning, and prioritizing work.
Annual Wage
Entry - $42,493
Mean - $63,318
Experienced - $73,730
Hourly Wage
Entry - $20
Mean - $30
Experienced - $35
Most employers require network and computer systems administrators to have a bachelor’s degree in a field related to computer or information science. Others may require only a postsecondary certificate or an associate’s degree.
Companies generally require their network and computer systems administrators to be certified in the products they use. Certification programs usually are offered directly from vendors or from vendor-neutral certification providers. Certification validates the knowledge and the use of best practices that are required of network and computer systems administrators. Microsoft and Cisco offer some of the most common certifications.
There are 23,800 projected job openings in the US this year!
