
Being from the IT field, the average salary of a system administrator is quite decent. This article gives you an overview of the system administrator job description and income range.
Recently, the demand for jobs in the IT field has increased substantially. There are many jobs in this area of work which normally includes software developers, hardware engineers, system administrators, database administrators, and web designers. One of the main careers is that of a system’s administrator, also referred to as just ‘sysadmin’. As the name portrays, a system administrator is an IT expert who is a specialist in overseeing computer setups. Being a career from a technical background, it does attract a good amount of per annum salary.
Job Description
The system administrator job duties may depend on whether the professional is working in a big multinational or a small firm. In big organizations, they usually perform the role individually such as that of a database administrator, network administrator, security administrator, or a web administrator. So there can be many professionals working in systems maintenance. In a small company, a single person may be employed to carry out all tasks of networks, databases, servers, and communication systems.
Typical sysadmin tasks are mentioned below:
- Introducing new computer systems into current setups for optimum IT functions.
- Troubleshooting IT systems when there is an issue reported by computer users.
- Carrying out data backups and administration.
- Installing and maintaining software updates periodically.
- Performing a check to make sure all systems are working fine and up to date.
- Administering the creation, operation, modification, and deletion of username and passwords of employees in the system.
- Implementing security software and tools to ensure maximum security from outside threats.
Salary
Freshers or those with less than a year’s experience can normally get anywhere from $34,500 to $50,000. If the total experience increases to anywhere less than four years, you can expect to be paid from about $38,500 to $53,000 per annum. If you possess an experience of five to nine years, you can even draw a pay up to about $62,000 per annum. Sysadmins with 10 to 19 years in the IT field can demand anywhere between $50,000 and $70,500 per year. The salary goes up to $74,500 or more if you have worked for 20 or more years.
At present, California and Virginia are reported to be the highest paying states with a range of $51,000 to $71,000 and $43,250 to $68,500 respectively. The state of New York comes at the second highest paying position at a pay scale from $44,000 to $64,000. Illinois also has a respectable salary range for sysadmins, ranging from around $42,000 to $63,000 annually. States such as Ohio, Florida, and Texas have a similar pay range of about $41,000 to $63,000 per year.
The city of employment does makes a huge difference in the average salary of a sysadmin. Surprisingly, the city of Boston has the highest pay potential at $51,200 to $77,500 per year. New York City pays between the $47,500 – $69,000 range. Californian cities like Los Angeles and San Diego offer a pay range of $46,000 to $66,000 and $48,000 and $61,000, respectively. Houston has an acceptable salary of $41,000 to $65,250 approximately. Likewise, the pay of these technical specialists differ from city to city and also from company to company.
This is some information on the system administrator remuneration and job tasks. The salary even depends a lot on the certification and educational qualifications. At present, those with credentials like Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Windows NT, and Certified Novell Administrator (CNA) are being preferred by employers.