Network and Computer Systems Administrators: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Computer and Mathematical · SOC 15-1244 · O*NET 15-1244.00
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.
Network and Computer Systems Administrators fall under the Computer and Mathematical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Network and Computer Systems Administrators earn a median salary of $96,800 per year, ranking in the top 15% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -4.2% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What parents should know about network and computer systems administrators right now
Network and computer systems administrators keep an organization's day-to-day networks and servers running, handling everything from email and Wi-Fi to user accounts, backups, and security patches. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment to decline 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, but it still expects about 14,300 openings each year over the decade as workers retire or move into adjacent roles such as cloud engineering and DevOps. The median annual wage was $96,800 in May 2024. Most positions require a bachelor's degree in a computer or information science field, though some employers accept an associate degree or relevant certifications such as CompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA, or Microsoft and AWS administrator credentials. No state license is required. The decline is not because the work disappears; it is because cloud services, automation, and AI-driven monitoring tools mean fewer people manage more infrastructure, and the work increasingly shifts into titles like cloud operations engineer, site reliability engineer, and platform engineer. Parents should view this career as a gateway: students who break in as a sysadmin and then layer on cloud, scripting (Python, Bash), Kubernetes, and security skills routinely move into higher-paying roles. Teens who are hands-on, like fixing things, and enjoy understanding how computers talk to one another can start in high school with home labs, free courses on Linux and networking, and entry-level certs such as CompTIA A+ and Network+. A summer help-desk role at any school or business is excellent early experience.
What do network and computer systems administrators earn?
The median annual wage for network and computer systems administrators is $96,800. That puts network and computer systems administrators at #125 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $60,320 |
| 25th percentile | $75,860 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $96,800 |
| 75th percentile | $123,390 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $150,320 |
| Median hourly wage | $46.54/hr |
Is network and computer systems administrators a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for network and computer systems administrators is -4.2%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 331K positions in 2024 to 317K in 2034, a net change of -14K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do network and computer systems administrators do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working network and computer systems administrators, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
- 2.Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.
- 3.Design, configure, and test computer hardware, networking software and operating system software.
- 4.Maintain logs related to network functions, as well as maintenance and repair records.
- 5.Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
- 6.Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
- 7.Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use.
- 8.Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement.
Top skills for network and computer systems administrators
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become network and computer systems administrator?
The standard path into network and computer systems administrators begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about network and computer systems administrators
What is the median salary for network and computer systems administrators?
The median annual salary for network and computer systems administrators is $96,800 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is network and computer systems administrators a growing career?
BLS projects -4.2% growth for network and computer systems administrators from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become network and computer systems administrator?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to network and computer systems administrators?
Related occupations within the Computer and Mathematical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.