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Job outlook for data center administrators in the United States
Data center administrator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected data center administrator job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 18,200 new jobs for data center administrators are projected over the next decade.
Data center administrator salaries have increased 9% for data center administrators in the last 5 years.
There are over 115,125 data center administrators currently employed in the United States.
There are 172,212 active data center administrator job openings in the US.
The average data center administrator salary is $49,854.
Are data center administrator jobs in demand?
Data center administrator job and salary trends over time
Data center administrator jobs over time
Data center administrator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 115,125 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 108,505 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 102,969 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 41,560 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 42,594 | 0.01% |
Average data center administrator salary over time
Data center administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,854 | $23.97 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $48,212 | $23.18 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $47,120 | $22.65 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $46,575 | $22.39 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $45,771 | $22.01 | +2.4% |
Data center administrator jobs by state
Most common states for data center administrators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 374 | 54% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 501 | 48% |
| 3 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 857 | 45% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,449 | 40% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,597 | 38% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,994 | 36% |
| 7 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 1,025 | 35% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 254 | 34% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 437 | 33% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,784 | 32% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,595 | 31% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,292 | 31% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 972 | 31% |
| 14 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 524 | 31% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 177 | 31% |
| 16 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,764 | 29% |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 613 | 29% |
| 18 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 3,633 | 28% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 3,465 | 27% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,863 | 27% |
Most common cities for data center administrators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntsville | 1 | 1% | $54,724 |
| 2 | Palo Alto | 1 | 1% | $68,999 |
| 3 | Oklahoma City | 2 | 0% | $43,931 |
| 4 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $47,803 |
| 5 | New York | 1 | 0% | $47,544 |
| 6 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $55,311 |
Data Center Administrator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of data center administrator experts
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Washington
Bakersfield College
Ohio University
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
University of New Hampshire
Kennesaw State University
Pennsylvania State University - Great Valley
What general advice would you give to a Data Center Administrator?
Janice Garnett Ed.D.: Negotiate based on research, develop a career development plan, focus on enhancing performance, professional growth, and continuous learning.
What general advice would you give to a Data Center Administrator?
Anthony Barrese: Pursue opportunities to broaden your experience across systems engineering, development, integration and test, field sales support and professional services positions. Generalist experience becomes invaluable with career advancement. Running a team is much more feasible for leaders who understand the process behind the work their reports deliver.
Laura Kier
Network Design and Administration InstructorWhat general advice would you give to a Data Center Administrator?
Laura Kier: Students graduating from the Computer Network Design and Administration program will enter the job market with a solid foundation in networking technologies. Above that they should also be able to develop and demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Networking has a strong emphasis on teamwork and being able to communicate well with customers, co-workers and teammates is vital. Attaining certifications in Cisco, Linux, Windows, and security will also help the student stand out within the industry (classes in the program help to learn the knowledge needed to attain certifications). Students should participate in any local or online communities and groups to enhance skills and knowledge and find networking opportunities.
What Data Center Administrator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Laura Kier: Computer Networking is a dynamic field with a wide variety of opportunities in many different industries. Some skills that will be more important in general are skills in software defined networking and automation. Skills in the DevOps field will be necessary, as well as skills leveraging AI tools. Cybersecurity is always important and using AI tools to enhance security and monitoring is necessary.
What will help Data Center Administrators increase their earning potential?
Laura Kier: Learn to present your skills well from the interview and into your career. Those communication skills count! Industry certifications like CCNA matter. They help you demonstrate a willingness to grow and learn beyond what was required for your degree. Be willing to take on new challenges with your new job and keep learning new skills. It is really important for graduates to understand that talented IT professionals can move up quickly in a company, but they often must start at the bottom to showcase their technical and soft skills. Because of that, they should not shy away from entry level jobs if there is potential for growth.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Data Center Administrators?
Les Atlas: Most certainly an impact, a very strong impact. The best lesson for us is from the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic. That strain of flu still circulates as a seasonal virus. Over 100 years laters, it is now considered a Phase 6 pandemic by the World Health Organization. While it is reduced due to current social distancing and mask wearing, the 1919 Spanish Flu virus still causes community-level outbreaks in multiple parts of the globe. Societal changes from this event of over 100 years ago are still with us.
In fact, they changed society. As is well-documented, after a high level of immunity was reached in the 1920's, the resulting labor shortage enabled workers to demand better living and working conditions, as well as better wages and public health care. As just one example of the societal changes due to the 1919 pandemic, the drop in the male labor force empowered male workers, and also changed the gender composition.
The aftermath of the 1919 pandemic was the start of women joining the labour force. In the United States, the proportion of women in the labour force rose from 18 per cent in 1900 to almost 21 per cent in 1920. In that same year, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, the Congress of the United States guaranteed all American women the right to vote.
The current COVID-19 pandemic will certainly change the way we live, be it our mobility or the kinds of career options people have. After our current year-long experience in remote learning and work, will we go back to the inefficiencies of going to our office every work day? Or will remote work be acceptable, where one's residence will not be dependent upon the locations of employment. Will we avoid future hotspots of infection, choosing to instead reside and travel in areas where infection is decreasing? Will we prefer to travel on aircraft which are certified to be virus-free and frequent restaurants which are documented to be safer? Future marketing will likely make a sharp turn in this direction.
What general advice would you give to a Data Center Administrator?
Maryam Farahani: Thinking about the fields they want to experience or try. And to be intentional about their job search. The best advice is learning as much as they can about what company offers. Visualizing themselves in the next 5 years as a starting point. Do they want to travel a lot, or be in management positions? Do they want to be subject matter expert, or a hands-on engineer or technologist? Their goal may change as they progress in their career but having one makes a big difference in their career choices and keeping them on track.
What skills stand out on Data Center Administrator resumes?
Greg Kessler Ph.D.: I am not sure that there are any particular skills that stand out on resumes, but familiarity with instructional design principles should be considered to be very valuable. I also think that knowledge of multimedia principles, social media, and various forms of virtual and immersive experiences. Also, knowledge of AI and the other things I referred to in the trends above.
Dr. T.S. Kalkur
Department ChairUniversity of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Data Center Administrators?
Dr. T.S. Kalkur: Yes, students complained that, while they are earning an online degree, they aren't learning as much.
Marc Lessard
ProfessorUniversity of New Hampshire
Physics and Astronomy Department and Space Science Center
What type of skills will young Data Center Administrators need?
Marc Lessard: This is a very good and important question. Graduates who can address complex problems in creative ways will be the most successful. This might sound obvious, but there seems to be a trend developing where younger engineers tend to want to follow written procedures or instructions for solving problems.
What is more valuable, of course, is being able to use a broad-based background to provide new and creative solutions, or at least to suggest new ideas and engage in discussions to further develop those ideas. The cliche of "thinking outside the box" will always be important.
What experience really stands out on Data Center Administrator resumes?
Marc Lessard: Students who have been significantly involved in research projects have a distinct advantage over those who haven't. Those who began such work (which is typically paid) as sophomores or juniors often will have played a significant role in these real-world research efforts, which can be very different than what might be tackled as part of a capstone project.
Written and oral presentation skills are also essential!
What experience really stands out on Data Center Administrator resumes?
Adeel Khalid Ph.D.: It is the age of diversity. A graduate can stand out when their resume shows a broad portfolio of experiences. In addition to a solid academic record, students who demonstrate that they can take on challenging tasks and work beyond a degree's basic requirements are more likely to be successful. I advise students to get involved in various activities, including undergraduate research projects, student design competitions, student organizations, internships, co-ops, etc. All of these should be highlighted on the resume. When a recruiter sees an overview of a student that shows relevant work experience in the form of work-study, internships, or co-op or research, their resume automatically comes to the top of the pile.
What experience really stands out on Data Center Administrator resumes?
Nil Ergin Ph.D.: Knowledge of analytical skills, methods, and tools for analysis, design, and management of complex systems and experience working with interdisciplinary teams are essential for systems engineering professionals. Experience in applying systems thinking and design thinking approaches to understanding organization, technical, and non-technical factors that influence the design and performance of complex systems stands out on resumes.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Data Center Administrators?
Nil Ergin Ph.D.: The pandemic disrupts all systems. With disruptions, new forms of services, delivery formats, and jobs will emerge. One overall result of the epidemic is that tech companies consider allowing employees to work remotely, beyond the end of the pandemic. Emerging work from the home norm will enable companies to hire a diverse and distributed workforce and compete for technical talent nationwide. This will also create a demand for IT capabilities and create a network of shared workspaces. Graduates need to diversify their skill sets to adapt and be agile to new forms of change.