How To Become An Operations System Administrator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an operations system administrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Laura Kier

Systems Administrators play a crucial role in any business or organization because they are the ones who ensure that employees can productively use the technology at their disposal. IT operations systems administrators take on a wide variety of tasks to ensure that computer systems and other IT resources are operating properly. They often solve technical problems of high scope and complexity by providing technical support to ensure affected components are promptly restored to service.

They frequently provide software technical support and serve as a go-between for the user and the help desk. They are also responsible for upgrading and installing software and hardware on servers. They are also often required to analyze, trace, and troubleshoot program failures related to software subsystems, applications programs, and hardware.

If you'd like to pursue this line of work, you'll need to have at least a Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, information system management, or other related fields. Many employers also seek candidates with IT certifications, such as Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate and CompTIA Server+ certifications.

What general advice would you give to an operations system administrator?

Laura Kier

Network Design and Administration Instructor

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.

ScoreOperations System AdministratorUS Average

Salary

6.0

Avg. Salary $76,891

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 9.46%

Black or African American 9.03%

Hispanic or Latino 12.72%

Unknown 5.10%

White 63.38%

Gender

female 23.77%

male 76.23%

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 an operations system administrator

Explore operations system administrator education requirements

Most common operations system administrator degrees

Bachelor's

57.6 %

Associate

26.7 %

Master's

7.1 %

Start to develop specific operations system administrator skills

Skills	Percentages
Technical Support	8.57%
Linux	7.53%
Customer Service	4.74%
VMware	4.36%
SQL	4.24%

Complete relevant operations system administrator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New operations system 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 an operations system administrator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operations system administrator resumes.

Research operations system administrator duties and responsibilities

Manage VOIP Digium phones for clients.
Manage and update share drive and SharePoint.
Manage DNS, SMTP for Webservers contacting customers.
Manage LDAP accounts on across the enterprise system.

Prepare your operations system administrator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your operations system 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 an operations system 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 operations system administrator resume templates

Build a professional operations system 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 operations system administrator resume.

Apply for operations system administrator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an operations system administrator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average operations system administrator salary

The average operations system administrator salary in the United States is $76,891 per year or $37 per hour. Operations system administrator salaries range between $59,000 and $98,000 per year.

Average operations system administrator salary

$76,891 Yearly

$36.97 hourly

What is an operations system administrator and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an operations system administrator?

Operations system administrator career paths

Key steps to become an operations system administrator

Explore operations system administrator education requirements

Most common operations system administrator degrees

Start to develop specific operations system administrator skills

Complete relevant operations system administrator training and internships

Research operations system administrator duties and responsibilities

Prepare your operations system administrator resume

Choose from 10+ customizable operations system administrator resume templates

Apply for operations system administrator jobs

How did you land your first operations system administrator job

Average operations system administrator salary

How do operations system administrators rate their job?