Network and Computer Systems Administrators
What Network and Computer Systems Administrators Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 0.3%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.9/5
- English Languageimportance 3.8/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.6/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.6/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 3.2/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.2/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.1/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.0/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
- E-Mail4.9/5
- Telephone Conversations4.6/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Contact With Others4.5/5
- Spend Time Sitting4.3/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers86% skill match
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer76% skill match
- Biological Technicians75% skill match
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators73% skill match
- Chemists70% skill match
- Broadcast Technicians70% skill match
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians69% skill match
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic69% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.9/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.9/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.8/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.8/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.8/5
- Programmingimportance 3.6/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.4/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.3/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Adaptability
- Perseverance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- ConventionalHigh
- RealisticMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- EnterprisingMedium
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where network and computer systems administrators make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA3.04× national avg
- 2Lexington Park, MD2.59× national avg
- 3Springfield, IL2.54× national avg
- 4Boulder, CO2.53× national avg
- 5Tallahassee, FL2.34× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Computer Systems AnalystsLateral Move
- Computer Network Support SpecialistsLateral Move
- Electronics Engineers, Except ComputerCareer Change
- Computer Hardware EngineersCareer Change
See the full career path from Network and Computer Systems Administrators →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Computer and Information Sciences, General
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA)grads earn ~$195,622
- DeVry University-Illinois (Lisle, IL)
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)grads earn ~$172,904
- University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
- New York University (New York, NY)grads earn ~$173,716
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
- Western Governors University (Salt Lake City, UT)grads earn ~$129,303
- Western Governors University (Salt Lake City, UT)grads earn ~$144,205
- University of Maryland Global Campus (Adelphi, MD)grads earn ~$130,314
- MyComputerCareer at Columbus (Columbus, OH)grads earn ~$58,108
- New York University (New York, NY)grads earn ~$152,422