What does an associate system administrator do?
Associate system administrators are professionals who assist the more experienced system administrators in identifying any problems that may occur in the computer system of an IT organization. They are required to set up accounts for new users and give them access to the organization's intranet. They must manage file servers while monitoring the internet connections and local area network (LAN) for any security risks. Associate system administrators must also provide technical support and develop training for their staff on the proper use of applications.
Associate system administrator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real associate system administrator resumes:
- Manage integrated network connectivity, reporting, and troubleshooting including switch, router, and firewall connectivity to increase system stability.
- Support LAN resources-printers, routers, and switches.
- Work on LDAP, DNS, SMTP, HTTP, NTP, and FTP.
- Trouble shooting DNS relate issues on the server/domain registrar.
- Provide SharePoint evangelism, promotion, and end-user training.
- Maintain disaster recovery procedures for LAN and relate equipment and software.
- Work on network issues in stores and make configuration changes to switches.
- Configure, assemble, install, and troubleshoot microcomputers, work stations and/or peripheral equipment.
- Involve in the VMWare environment building and maintaining virtual servers for IAE and Pratt & Whitney.
- Implement HACMP clustering technology to ensure 24x7 availability of UNIX servers and reduce planned and unplan outages.
- Remedy trouble ticket software, as well as software and hardware installation and perform system backups and recovery.
- Designate administrator of Sharepoint 2013 farms.
- Conduct new client-server users and update gateway configuration data via VMware architecture.
- Include installation, configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting and maintenance of Linux operating systems.
- Perform troubleshooting and fault isolation on PCs, or relate system components in simple configurations in order to maintain system availability.
Associate system administrator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Associate System Administrators are proficient in Customer Service, Infrastructure, and Linux. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Associate System Administrators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 15%
Maintained outstanding customer service and productivity ratings while providing internal clients with level one desktop and application support.
- Infrastructure, 10%
Resulted in improved customer satisfaction with quality of data, reduced representative training time, and decreased infrastructure support costs.
- Linux, 6%
Included installation, configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting and maintenance of Linux operating systems.
- Troubleshoot, 5%
Manage / Troubleshoot users and assets in Cisco Call Manager 7 & 9 for both hardware and software telephony devices.
- Windows Server, 5%
Configured and maintained Windows servers and applications including virtual environments.
- PowerShell, 4%
Developed PowerShell scripts for Desktop Support troubleshooting, administration, and automation of daily tasks.
Common skills that an associate system administrator uses to do their job include "customer service," "infrastructure," and "linux." You can find details on the most important associate system administrator responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for an associate system administrator to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "administrators need to evaluate networks and systems to make sure that they perform reliably and to anticipate new requirements as customers’ needs change." Additionally, an associate system administrator resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "rectified high speed data customer problems including dhcp, dns, email, personal web pages and news issues. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform associate system administrator duties is communication skills. Associate system administrators responsibilities require that "administrators must describe problems and their solutions to non-it workers." Associate system administrators also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "implemented a trouble ticketing system to improve communication and support between the business, marketing, customer service and it departments. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of associate system administrators is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday associate system administrator duties, as "administrators must quickly resolve problems that arise with computer networks." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provide first level support for lan solutions. "
The three companies that hire the most associate system administrators are:
- Apria Healthcare54 associate system administrators jobs
- SOS International8 associate system administrators jobs
- FedEx3 associate system administrators jobs
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Associate system administrator vs. Software support technician
A software support technician is responsible for resolving software application issues, diagnosing related system failures, and writing resolution reports for reference. Software support technicians must be highly-familiarized with the system's infrastructure and interface to immediately diagnose malfunctions and identify maintenance techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays. They also assist the system engineers in the configuration and optimization of networks, including the installment of upgrades and patch updates. A software support technician must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in navigating computer tools and applications to create support tickets and fix the customers' issues efficiently.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, associate system administrator responsibilities require skills like "infrastructure," "powershell," "ip," and "client facing." Meanwhile a typical software support technician has skills in areas such as "database," "phone calls," "customer support," and "os." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Software support technicians earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $86,283. On the other hand, associate system administrators are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $82,154.The education levels that software support technicians earn slightly differ from associate system administrators. In particular, software support technicians are 2.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an associate system administrator. Additionally, they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate system administrator vs. Technical support engineer
A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real associate system administrator resumes. While associate system administrator responsibilities can utilize skills like "infrastructure," "powershell," "client facing," and "windows os," technical support engineers use skills like "customer issues," "database," "customer satisfaction," and "customer support."
Technical support engineers may earn a higher salary than associate system administrators, but technical support engineers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $82,316. On the other hand, associate system administrators receive higher pay in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $82,154.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Technical support engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than associate system administrators. In fact, they're 3.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate system administrator vs. Senior network administrator
Senior Network Administrators provide system and network solutions for their organizations. They supervise the functioning of networking equipment and follow strict maintenance standards.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, associate system administrators are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "infrastructure," "powershell," and "vmware." But a senior network administrator is more likely to have skills like "routers," "network infrastructure," "network hardware," and "firewall."
Senior network administrators earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $93,129. Comparatively, associate system administrators have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $82,154.When it comes to education, senior network administrators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to associate system administrators. In fact, they're 3.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Associate system administrator vs. Help desk administrator
Help desk administrator is responsible for handling activities related to system support for their company or organization. They are in charge of providing superb client experiences and working in resolving support issues in a professional and timely manner. One of their primary tasks includes providing login resets and passwords for end-users. In addition, they will also perform innovative systems and network repairs, as well as assist computer information responses as required. Moreover, they support complete equipment set-up, renewal, or termination of a user account, handle server, and domain account changes.
Types of associate system administrator
Updated January 8, 2025











