What is an Information Technology Administrator?

Information technology administrators manage the day-to-day operations of IT systems to ensure that the systems run effectively. They handle computer or network hardware, software, and security. They analyze enterprise computing system needs and assess computer hardware and software. They design, execute, and maintain technical solutions to enterprise business problems. They extend technical end user support and train and mentor users on desktop application software. They also determine and secure sensitive corporate data.

An information technology administrator should have aptitude for technical activities, good communication skills, and be able to quickly understand complex problems and devise effective solutions. They should be willing to update their own knowledge of IT content.

To become one, you require a bachelor's degree in information technology or computer sciences. There are some self-taught IT specialists who might qualify for the job but they would have to prove their skills to the employer and might not get the same salary as the ones who have gone to college. On average, they earn $67,423 per year or $32.41 per hour.

What Does an Information Technology Administrator Do

There are certain skills that many information technology administrators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, communication skills and problem-solving skills.

Learn more about what an Information Technology Administrator does

How To Become an Information Technology Administrator

If you're interested in becoming an information technology administrator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 55.7% of information technology administrators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 7.2% of information technology administrators have master's degrees. Even though most information technology administrators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

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Information Technology Administrator Job Description

An information technology administrator or, simply, an IT admin is responsible for the management of a company's IT systems and the relevant departments. They ensure that all software and hardware are up to date, conduct repairs and tests, and work with other departments to improve IT efficiency and customer care.

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Information Technology Administrator Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an information technology administrator can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as information technology manager, progress to a title such as project manager and then eventually end up with the title infrastructure project manager.

Information Technology Administrator

Average Salary for an Information Technology Administrator

Information Technology Administrators in America make an average salary of $73,195 per year or $35 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $105,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $50,000 per year.
Average Information Technology Administrator Salary
$73,195 Yearly
$35.19 hourly
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Roles and Types of Information Technology Administrator

The role of an information technology administrator includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general information technology administrator responsibilities:

  • Daily monitoring of the virtual server environment, ensuring health
  • Recommend improvements that overlay cybersecurity aspects into the existing customer system administration processes work with team training personnel to mentor
  • Work with leadership and the team to formulate the tactical plan to meet the strategic direction of the leveraged application operations team develop automated methodologies for build activities supporting infrastructure

There are several types of information technology administrator, including:

Systems Administrator

Role:

Systems administrators are essential to most companies. So you could probably find a job almost anywhere. Which is great, especially if you're looking for a career with a lot of job opportunities. Of course, who's going to realistically turn down opportunity?

As a systems administrator, it's on your shoulders to keep the company servers up and working smoothly. Of course, there will be crashes you'll have to deal with. After all, that's why you're there in the first place.

When an employer looks for a systems administrator, they're usually looking for an individual who has a bachelor's degree. But that's not all. This isn't an entry-level position so you're going to need at least 3-5 years of experience under your belt as well. Once you get all of those checked off, you'll be well on your way to your dream career.

  • Average Salary: $77,156
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Network Administrator

Role:

It is not surprising that many kinds of technology careers nowadays are very in-demand in almost every industry. That's why people are spending money studying technical skills to land a job that pays well in exchange for their expertise. But don't take it the wrong way, though. Being a computer expert isn't rainbows and rays of sunshine. You would probably get a lot of "WTF" moments during network failures and system downtimes. And worse.

A network administrator is just one of the many branches of technology. Network administrators manage troubleshooting procedures, requiring them to have both excellencies in technical skills and customer service. Most companies that need network administrators prefer to hire someone with prior experience, as this job has a lot of responsibility. Though they are usually working within regular business hours, a network administrator does not normally slouch until the end of the shift.

You thought scientists are the people who do experiments? You should see what a network administrator's day looks like. They actually search for the best methods to improve the network's condition and prevent system delays. If you're a frustrated scientist who always loved experiments, why don't you try your luck as a network administrator? Who knows, right?

  • Average Salary: $71,357
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Information Systems Technician

Role:

Information system technicians work with computers and communication systems. They build networks and databases, maintain intranet sites, install hardware and software, develop programs, protect the system from malware, and provide technical support for system users.

They may work for various organizations and are members of the IT staff comprising of programmers, IT specialists, software developers, and the like.

This is a very stable and predictable career path with next to no twists and turns along the way. It is hard to find an enterprise, big or small, that could bypass the use of computers, so you are highly unlikely to run out of work. On average, you will earn $44,850 a year.

  • Average Salary: $46,346
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most Information Technology Administrator Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active information technology administrator jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where information technology administrators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Information Technology Administrator Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California6,744$88,773
2Texas3,744$67,780
3Florida2,981$59,195
4Virginia2,712$76,228
5New York2,250$77,131
6Illinois2,059$71,333
7Pennsylvania1,847$73,601
8Massachusetts1,841$71,815
9Maryland1,762$82,425
10Washington1,696$83,418
11North Carolina1,681$79,085
12Georgia1,594$67,131
13Ohio1,541$69,109
14Arizona1,499$66,244
15Colorado1,494$66,991
16New Jersey1,349$78,196
17Minnesota1,126$81,234
18Michigan1,017$70,070
19Oregon905$80,230
20Wisconsin867$70,411
21Indiana856$73,245
22Missouri828$68,634
23Tennessee815$76,674
24Utah761$75,707
25Alabama750$64,803
26Connecticut664$76,265
27South Carolina635$65,282
28Iowa581$76,699
29Kentucky474$65,999
30Kansas449$63,127
31Oklahoma423$62,544
32Nevada393$79,647
33Arkansas385$63,158
34Nebraska377$67,544
35Louisiana376$65,053
36New Mexico360$68,442
37New Hampshire334$67,709
38Idaho299$85,690
39Mississippi283$64,859
40West Virginia276$62,839
41Rhode Island263$70,243
42Hawaii251$57,205
43North Dakota239$65,876
44Delaware231$71,050
45Alaska222$71,494
46Montana210$67,165
47South Dakota201$66,080
48Maine198$66,279
49Vermont171$69,197
50Wyoming134$71,673

Information Technology Administrator Education

Information Technology Administrator Majors

Computer Science
19.3 %
Business
14.1 %
Information Technology
13.0 %

Information Technology Administrator Degrees

Bachelors

55.7 %

Associate

27.7 %

Masters

7.2 %

Top Colleges for Information Technology Administrators

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

Top Skills For an Information Technology Administrator

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 10.4% of information technology administrators listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Information Technology Administrator Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Information Technology Administrator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Information Technology Administrator resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Information Technology Administrator diversity

Information Technology Administrator Gender Distribution

Male
Male
82%
Female
Female
18%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among information technology administrators, 18.4% of them are women, while 81.6% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among information technology administrators is White, which makes up 63.0% of all information technology administrators.

  • The most common foreign language among information technology administrators is Spanish at 49.2%.

Online Courses For Information Technology Administrator That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  

1. Technical Support Fundamentals

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This course is the first of a series that aims to prepare you for a role as an entry-level IT Support Specialist. In this course, you’ll be introduced to the world of Information Technology, or IT. You’ll learn about the different facets of Information Technology, like computer hardware, the Internet, computer software, troubleshooting, and customer service. This course covers a wide variety of topics in IT that are designed to give you an overview of what’s to come in this certificate program...

2. Computer Hardware and Software

coursera

This course provides foundational understanding of how computers process information through hardware and software. You will investigate the world of Information Technology (IT) and survey hardware components, mobile devices, operating systems, programs and apps, network fundamentals, the Internet, and touch on security and ethics...

3. Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, GPO, R. Server Access

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Training For Beginners - Become a Network Administrator in Microsoft Windows Server 2019 with Remote Server Access!...

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Best States For an Information Technology Administrator

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an information technology administrator. The best states for people in this position are California, Idaho, Washington, and Maryland. Information technology administrators make the most in California with an average salary of $88,773. Whereas in Idaho and Washington, they would average $85,690 and $83,418, respectively. While information technology administrators would only make an average of $82,425 in Maryland, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Washington

Total Information Technology Administrator Jobs: 1,696
Highest 10% Earn:
$116,000
Location Quotient:
1.24

$83,418

Avg. Salary

View 1,696 Information Technology Administrator Jobs In WA

2. Idaho

Total Information Technology Administrator Jobs: 299
Highest 10% Earn:
$121,000
Location Quotient:
0.97

$85,690

Avg. Salary

View 299 Information Technology Administrator Jobs In ID

3. California

Total Information Technology Administrator Jobs: 6,744
Highest 10% Earn:
$134,000
Location Quotient:
1.23

$88,773

Avg. Salary

View 6,744 Information Technology Administrator Jobs In CA
Full List Of Best States For Information Technology Administrators

How Do Information Technology Administrators Rate Their Jobs?

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Top Information Technology Administrator Employers

Most Common Employers For Information Technology Administrator

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Panasonic Avionics$116,965$56.2318
2UBS$104,518$50.2519
3BB&T$96,554$46.4220
4TEKsystems$90,279$43.4028
5General Dynamics$85,489$41.1020
6IBM$85,281$41.0043
7Raytheon Technologies$84,944$40.8449
8Hewlett Packard Enterprise$74,799$35.9619
9Washington State University$74,742$35.9322
10US Air Conditioning Distributors$73,998$35.5823
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Updated April 6, 2023