Occupations · 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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 15-1244.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 16% between 2019 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $113,030 | 19,080 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $100,480 | 11,780 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $124,050 | 11,280 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $105,270 | 9,000 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $98,790 | 7,370 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $96,500 | 6,780 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $106,690 | 6,290 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $92,680 | 6,260 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $98,240 | 6,190 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $106,920 | 5,950 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $127,030 | 5,370 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $105,490 | 4,980 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Implement and provide technical support for voice services and equipment, such as private branch exchange, voice mail system, and telecom system.
- 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.
- Design, configure, and test computer hardware, networking software and operating system software.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2020
Comparing O*NET release 25.1 (2020-11-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 4 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 32
No longer listed 21
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| ICT network engineer | 2523.3 | close |
| ICT network administrator | 2522.1.1 | broader |
| ICT system administrator | 2522.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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