What qualifications do you need to be a systems administrator?

With that said, almost half of all systems administrators have a bachelor's degree in network systems administration. Another 30% have an associate's degree in the same area. It is important to establish some educational credentials, which at minimum would be a two-year degree.

However, another path is to teach yourself what you need to know via online training courses and programs. Study material should focus on computer systems hardware and software, networking, programming, and IT security.

This information will provide the foundation for the skills needed to build and maintain network systems. After graduation, the next step is to take a certification in network systems. The gold standard is the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).

Network Associate (CCNA) certification demonstrates your knowledge to deploy, maintain, secure, and operate a medium-sized network using Cisco technologies.

The Associate level of Cisco Certifications can begin directly with CCNA for network installation, operations, and troubleshooting and is a prerequisite to the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certifications.