Role profile
Systems administrator
Also called: Linux administrator · Network administrator · Windows server administrator · Site reliability engineer (often) · DevOps engineer (overlaps) · Cloud administrator (overlaps)
Systems administrators install, configure and keep running the servers, networks and core services an organization depends on, such as email, identity, file storage and backups. They work in IT departments across every industry, at schools and hospitals, and at managed service providers.
- Median pay, 2025
- $99,130
- $62,640 to $155,050 (10th to 90th percentile)
- US jobs, 2025
- 323,600
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Outlook, 2025-35
- -4%
- Decline
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
- No prior experience required
What the work looks like
- Patch and upgrade servers and network devices, ideally on a schedule rather than in a panic.
- Manage user accounts, groups and permissions in Active Directory, Entra ID or LDAP.
- Monitor uptime, disk, CPU and backup jobs, and respond when alerts fire.
- Automate repetitive work with Bash, PowerShell or Ansible.
- Manage virtual machines and, increasingly, cloud resources in AWS, Azure or Google Cloud.
- Troubleshoot escalated problems the help desk could not solve.
- Document systems so the next person, or you in six months, can understand them.
How people get in
The BLS lists a bachelor's degree in a computer field as typical, while noting some employers accept a postsecondary certificate or associate's degree. In practice many working admins came up through help desk and desktop support rather than a degree.
The classic route is one to two years in IT support, then a junior or associate administrator role, often at a managed service provider or a school district where you see many systems quickly. A home lab with a few Linux servers, a hypervisor and some automation is a strong talking point in interviews.
Employers often want certification in the products they run. Linux credentials (Linux+, LFCS, RHCSA) and a cloud administrator certification are common choices; for network-heavy roles, a CCNA helps.
Skills employers ask for
- Linux shell
- Windows Server and Active Directory
- Bash and PowerShell scripting
- Networking (DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP)
- Virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox)
- Ansible or other configuration management
- Backup and recovery
- Monitoring tools (Prometheus, Zabbix or similar)
- Cloud basics (AWS, Azure or GCP)
- Git
- Kubernetes basics
Outlook to 2035
The BLS projects a 4% decline from 2025 to 2035, but still about 13,400 openings a year from retirements and job changes. Cloud services and automation are absorbing much of the routine server work. The skills are not going away so much as being renamed: admins who learn cloud, infrastructure as code and automation tend to move into DevOps, site reliability or cloud engineering roles.
How the pay compares
Systems administrator highlighted against the other 13 roles we track.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Network and Computer Systems Administrators. Pay is 2025 median annual wage; outlook is projected employment change 2025-35.