Systems administration careers
If you are considering systems administration, this page helps. Network and computer systems administrators install, configure, and maintain the systems organizations depend on—servers, directories, network services, and related identity tools.
May 2025 median pay $99,130; projected employment change −4% (2025–35); about 13,400 openings a year among about 323,600 jobs. Replacement demand matters when employment shrinks.
Getting in
Some people enter from support; some junior admin ads hire candidates with labs, scripting, and internship evidence. Compare help desk vs sysadmin as a first job.
Moving up
Handbook advancement often points to computer network architects or computer and information systems managers. Security-titled work is a different occupation when duties shift to protection—see from IT into cybersecurity.