How To Become A Lead Administrator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead administrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Wayne Counts

A lead administrator is an individual who is responsible for ensuring that all computers, databases, networks, and related technologies function appropriately and efficiently for an organization or a business. They manage teams of computer and IT professionals and help oversee and troubleshoot any computer operations. They also manage and approve employee access to various computer networks, and coordinate with staff and management in the monitoring, repair, and upgrading of computers, servers as well as software and hardware.

Most lead administrators have a bachelor's in IT, computer science, or a related field, as well as certifications in various areas such as database management and network security. They should possess strong computer and analytical skills, as well as robust communication, management, and analytical skills.

Many lead administrators can make up to $96,000 annually, and there are many opportunities for these professionals in a variety of fields including banking, government, education, and IT. This career field is also expected to grow by 5% in the next 10 years, creating 18,200 new jobs in the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a lead administrator?

Wayne Counts

Associate Dean, The University of Texas Permian Basin

I think there will be an impact, both visible and invisible, for years to come. One of the big changes will be in how we do things. The change to remote and virtual business will probably never be fully reversed.

ScoreLead AdministratorUS Average

Salary

7.4

Avg. Salary $94,444

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 9.54%

Black or African American 9.20%

Hispanic or Latino 12.88%

Unknown 5.11%

White 62.96%

Gender

female 62.83%

male 37.17%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead administrator

Explore lead administrator education requirements

Most common lead administrator degrees

Bachelor's

53.2 %

Associate

19.6 %

Master's

12.2 %

Start to develop specific lead administrator skills

Skills	Percentages
Payroll	10.00%
Office Equipment	8.49%
Expense Reports	5.73%
Windows	5.73%
Data Entry	5.49%

Complete relevant lead administrator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead administrators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead administrator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead administrator resumes.

Research lead administrator duties and responsibilities

Manage and coordinate office operations and procedures to include payroll preparation, information management/filing systems, and supply requisitions.
Support and troubleshoot all claims questions and provide assistance with more advance issues.
Provide initiatives and suggestions for performance tuning of applications, script auto deployment plans, troubleshoot complex production issues.
Create and implement migration plans to new SharePoint environments.

Get lead administrator experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a lead administrator. The most common roles before becoming a lead administrator include administrative assistant, customer service representative team lead and administrator.

Prepare your lead administrator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead administrator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead administrator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lead administrator resume templates

Build a professional lead administrator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lead administrator resume.