Network & Computer Systems Administrators

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LAN Administrator (Local Area Network Administrator), Network Administrator (Network Admin), Network Engineer, Systems Engineer

What they do:
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.
On the job, you would:
  • Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.
  • 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.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Communications

  • telecommunications

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Business

  • customer service

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements

People and Technology Systems

  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
  • measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen

Visual Understanding

  • see hidden patterns
  • quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Intellectual Curiosity
  • Cautiousness
  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Adaptability

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Web platform development software

  • Django
  • Microsoft ASP.NET

Data base user interface and query software

  • Blackboard software
  • ServiceNow

Network monitoring software

  • Remote monitoring software
  • Wireshark

Education

associate's degree or other 2-year degree or
bachelor's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

Salary:

$99,130
$62,640
$155,050
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