Explore by Career/Computer and Mathematical
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.
- Median pay
- $96,800
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- -4.2%
- Declining
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
Key skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Troubleshooting
What they do
- Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
- Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
- Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
- Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.
- Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use.
- Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future.
- Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.
- Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement.
- Confer with network users about solutions to existing system problems.
- Recommend changes to improve systems and network configurations, and determine hardware or software requirements related to such changes.
Majors that lead here
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.