A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK OF NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR
You’re interested in
becoming one of those network administrators. You have all the right
characteristics to make this career work for you—you’re an analytical thinker,
you love helping others and you adapt well to change.
Even so, you’re
probably still wondering, “What does a network administrator actually do?”
I am here to help you
answer that question. I gathered real-time market intelligence and government
data to help provide a realistic look at what life would be like working as a
network admin.
Who
exactly is a network administrator?
A network
administrator, sometimes called a systems administrator, is responsible for
keeping an organization’s computer network up to date and running smoothly. Any
company or organization that uses multiple computers or software platforms
needs a network admin to coordinate the different systems.
This explains the
promising job outlook for network admins. Demand for these professionals is
projected to increase by up to 8 percent through 2024, and the salary for the
position ranges from $47,460 to more than $120,000, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS).
Network admins will
especially be in high demand as companies and organizations invest in newer,
faster technology and mobile networks. Growth is also expected in the
healthcare industry as the use of information technology increases.
What
are the job duties of a network administrator?
A network admin’s job
can be wide or narrow depending on the organization and how complex its
networks are. But in general, a network admin is responsible for the following
tasks:
• Installing network and computer
systems
• Maintaining, repairing and upgrading
network and computer systems
• Diagnosing and fixing problems or
potential problems with the network and its hardware, software and systems
• Monitoring network and systems to
improve performance
What skills does a
network administrator need?
Network admins are
responsible for both the back end—networks, software and hardware—as well as
for the teams and end users they support. That means a network admin should
have a combination of problem-solving and people skills.
In addition to the
necessary technical knowledge, here are some common skills employers are
looking for in a network admin:
Analyzing
and critical thinking
Network admins need to
explore and solve problems logically and consistently. “[The] ability to take
the concepts you’ve learned in school and understand how they work and affect
other concepts is the bread and butter of being a network administrator,” Even
if you don’t yet know the solution, I believe thinking critically will help you
get there.
Time
management
Network admins juggle
several projects, people and problems simultaneously. This means it’s essential
to be organized in the present and looking ahead to prepare for what’s coming
next. It’s like spinning plates—with a little practice, a network admin can
keep everything balanced.
Interpersonal
skills
Network admins work
with a range of people, from network engineers to help desk employees to end
users, explains Eric Jeffery, founder of IT solutions firm Gungon Consulting.
He says bridging the gap between diverse groups of people requires patience and
understanding.
Lifelong
learning
The technology field is
constantly changing, which means network admins must be willing to learn and
evolve with it. Good network admins are able to adapt to new techniques and
technologies throughout their careers.
Where
do network administrators work?
If you’re considering a
career as a network admin, don’t feel like you have to box yourself into a
particular industry—network administrators are in demand in many business
sectors. We used real-time job analysis software from Burning-Glass.com to
examine more than 194,000 network admin jobs posted over the past year.
Based on the data, here
are the top industries hiring network administrators over the last year:
• Professional, scientific and
technical services
• Insurance
• Education
• Hospitals
• Transportation equipment
manufacturing
As you can see, earning
a degree in network administration means you won’t be tied down to working in
one industry your entire career. You have plenty of options when it comes to
choosing a field.
What
is a typical day like for a network administrator?
As seen in the job
duties above, a network admin has a broad job description: managing an entire
network, preventing and fixing network problems and supporting a number of
teams and individuals. This means there’s rarely a “typical day” in the life of
a network admin.
“No two days are ever
the same,” Meyer says. He says a “normal day” might include checking logs,
auditing processes, putting out fires that arise from your end users and
working on projects. Projects could include creating new programs to make the
network more efficient or researching technology and brainstorming creative
solutions for the organization’s network needs.
Taking
the next step
The next time someone
asks you, “What does a network administrator do?” you can confidently answer
that they do a lot of things! Network admins are constantly analyzing,
monitoring and creatively solving problems, while looking for ways to improve
in an always-changing field.
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