Systems Administrator/Network Administrator

See more possible job titles/descriptions.

What they do: The jobs of systems administration and network administration overlap to a large degree, and, especially in smaller organizations, the responsibilities associated with these two titles are often held by a single individual. System administrators are generally responsible for installing, supporting, and maintaining servers and other computer systems, and planning for and responding to service outages. Typical duties include:

• Performing routine audits of systems and software
• Performing backups of servers and workstations
• Installing, maintaining, and upgrading software and hardware
• Managing user accounts
• Performing procedures to ensure system security, such as cleaning viruses from infected computers
• Documenting the system configuration
• Training and assisting staff in using hardware and software efficiently
• Answering technical questions and troubleshooting problems
• Network administrators are generally responsible for setting up, maintaining, and securing the hardware and software that comprise an organization’s local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and intranet. Typical duties include:
• Deploying, configuring, maintaining, and monitoring network gear, such as routers and firewalls
• Assigning network addresses and routing protocols
• Managing user accounts
• Setting up email addresses
• Maintaining network facilities in individual machines, for example, configuring drivers and settings in networked workstations and printers
• Maintaining network servers, such as file servers and VPN gateways
• Troubleshooting network problems

Skills: Because troubleshooting and helping others are significant components of both jobs, systems and network administrators must have strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills. The ability to teach and train laypersons about network use and software skills may also be important, depending on the amount of interaction an administrator has with non-technical staff. Systems and network administrators must be proficient with the variety of operating systems and applications used in an organization, and sometimes hold specialized technical certifications to work with specific types of operating systems. In smaller organizations, systems and network administrators are often the “go-to” person for all technical questions; as such, strong research skills will aid administrators in troubleshooting problems outside of their immediate area of expertise. Because advances in information technology occur frequently, systems and network administrators rely on continuing education and professional development opportunities to keep their skills current.

Employment: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that the median annual earnings of network and computer systems administrators were $58,190 in May 2004, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $37,100, and the highest 10 percent earning more than $91,300. The five industries employing the highest number of network and systems administrators in May 2004 were wired telecommunications carriers; computer systems design and related services; management of companies and enterprises; elementary and secondary schools; and colleges, universities, and professional schools. Depending on the size of an organization and the complexity of its network and system, the job of system and network administration can range from ten hours per week to full-time.



See more possible job titles/descriptions.