Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for operations system administrators in the United States
Operations system administrator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected operations system administrator job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 18,200 new jobs for operations system administrators are projected over the next decade.
Operations system administrator salaries have increased 9% for operations system administrators in the last 5 years.
There are over 130,001 operations system administrators currently employed in the United States.
There are 173,494 active operations system administrator job openings in the US.
The average operations system administrator salary is $76,891.
Are operations system administrator jobs in demand?
Operations system administrator job and salary trends over time
Operations system administrator jobs over time
Operations system administrator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 130,001 | 0.04% |
| 2020 | 123,242 | 0.04% |
| 2019 | 116,180 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 45,373 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 46,435 | 0.01% |
Average operations system administrator salary over time
Operations system administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $76,891 | $36.97 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $74,357 | $35.75 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $72,674 | $34.94 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $71,833 | $34.53 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $70,593 | $33.94 | +2.4% |
Operations system administrator jobs by state
Most common states for operations system administrators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 322 | 46% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 427 | 32% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 224 | 30% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,570 | 28% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 511 | 27% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 232 | 27% |
| 7 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 154 | 27% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 274 | 26% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,433 | 24% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,478 | 24% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,761 | 22% |
| 12 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,275 | 22% |
| 13 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,863 | 22% |
| 14 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 649 | 22% |
| 15 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 386 | 22% |
| 16 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,367 | 21% |
| 17 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,027 | 21% |
| 18 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 674 | 21% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 441 | 21% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 282 | 21% |
Most common cities for operations system administrators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dover | 1 | 3% | $84,427 |
| 2 | Salisbury | 1 | 3% | $86,565 |
| 3 | Bentonville | 1 | 2% | $71,034 |
| 4 | Columbus | 1 | 2% | $64,673 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | 2 | 1% | $74,168 |
| 6 | Glendale | 2 | 1% | $97,807 |
| 7 | Grand Rapids | 2 | 1% | $74,918 |
| 8 | Colorado Springs | 1 | 0% | $68,450 |
| 9 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $67,920 |
| 10 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $66,776 |
| 11 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $79,341 |
| 12 | Tampa | 1 | 0% | $66,805 |
Operations System Administrator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of operations system administrator experts
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Gulfstream Aerospace
Utah Valley University
Governors State University
Davenport University
Slippery Rock University
Stetson University
Saint Peter's University
American University
University of Illinois - Chicago
Appalachian State University
What will help Operations System Administrators increase their earning potential?
Dr. Joseph Oluwole: My general advice is to seek out administrator and professor mentors who can provide a sounding board and encouragement through the emotional roller coaster that administration can be. I cannot overstate the importance of supportive mentors to the success of a new graduate beginning as an administrator. Even the State of New Jersey, for instance, recognizes the importance of mentoring and created a formal program for new assistant principals and principals to seek support from experienced mentors under the state's New Jersey Leaders to Leaders (NJL2L) program.
What general advice would you give to an Operations System Administrator?
Janice Garnett Ed.D.: Negotiate based on research, develop a career development plan, focus on enhancing performance, professional growth, and continuous learning.
Laura Kier
Network Design and Administration InstructorWhat general advice would you give to an Operations System 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 Operations System 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 Operations System 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.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Operations System Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Mark Van Holt: With a polarized nation and changing global risk perceptions, I believe we will continue to see significant demand for highly qualified homeland security experts. The devastating impact of pandemic has employers more attuned to risk and the need for global collaboration. Employers will be looking for candidates with strategic foresight and the aptitude to take a holistic and system-based view of risk and the associated impact. Industry experts will be expected to have a robust understanding of bio-surveillance and bio-terrorism prevention and response strategies and the broader spectrum of public health threats.
Curtis Welborn
ProfessorUtah Valley University
Computer Science Department
What experience really stands out on Operations System Administrator resumes?
Curtis Welborn: That can really depend upon the company. Some companies want people with a strong background in machine learning right now. But I've met people who shy away from hiring people with too much machine learning on their resume even when the company wants someone to do machine learning because too many of these people only want to, or only can, do machine learning. They don't have a strong fundamental understanding of Computer Science (see No. 2). Our students who complete the Compiler course get jobs, not because companies are building a compiler but because companies know that someone who can build a compiler can most likely do anything they would want done. So people should not focus on finding that thing that makes their resume look good today. Just be great at everything you do. Take hard classes, and excel at them. Learn EVERYTHING you can, and companies will want you.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Operations System Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Stephen Hyzny: Security, as more people need online services, the protection behind that technology will be needed.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Operations System Administrators in the next 5 years?
Stephen Hyzny: As everything involves technology, more educated people will need it in the future. As our cars, houses, and lives connect, people will be required to make it all work.
How do you envision technology impacting Operations System Administrators in the next 5 years?
Marjolijn Van der Velde Ph.D.: Strange as it sounds, the one constant we can count on changes. While we may not know exactly what tech skills will be necessary, knowing that we need to be continuous learners will help us keep up with the rapid rate of change we can expect over the next five years.
Abdou Karim Jallow Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSlippery Rock University
Department of Information Systems
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations System Administrators?
Abdou Karim Jallow Ph.D.: It is obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and transformed the lives of many people, including students all over the world. A major effect is requiring students to stay and learn from home because of the closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure. Missing saying the traditional goodbye to friends, fraternities, and sororities, and having to watch commencement ceremonies in bedrooms online will leave an indelible mark in graduates.
This means a great U-shift in memories of college life, including physical interaction and learning environment, and systems adopting a new way of doing things. Graduates will enter the job market with uncertainties of availability of traditional jobs and how to work in a new normal. Many graduates will find themselves having to search for jobs virtually and having to start working remotely from the beginning in most cases and in most industries. What would have been a new beginning, along with the excitement of stepping through the doors of the new office and career, will not be there physically. This will have an impact on these graduates because of the transformation of society as a result of the pandemic.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Operations System Administrators to find work opportunities?
Abdou Karim Jallow Ph.D.: Sometimes new graduates from college can find it hard to get the perfect or preferred job location. This may be different for those with information sciences or information systems and related degrees. Luckily there are big companies, multinational companies as well as some-sized enterprises who need skills in that discipline. Most of these can be found in some of the big cities beyond Silicon Valley such as NY, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Denver, Colorado, Philadelphia, Chicago, DC, Charlotte, Houston, Boston, Dallas, and Minneapolis, just to name a few.
Some of these locations are where some of the big tech companies reside, such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, IBM, HP, SAP, etc. The advantage of this degree is that graduates not only can work for tech companies but any company because of the need to manage data, information, process, and technology. Companies all over have or are putting together strategies to harness the potential of big data, and graduates with information sciences, information systems, and related degrees are sought after continuously.
How do you envision technology impacting Operations System Administrators in the next 5 years?
Abdou Karim Jallow Ph.D.: The trend we have witnessed in the past two decades in terms of development in technology is unprecedented. This has a ripple effect on the field of information sciences and systems. Most traditional jobs have changed or rebranded. For example, consider how information and data processing and management (IDPM) has revolutionized into what is today information management or management information systems; business intelligence is almost transformed into business analytics, data science; high-performance computing, and grid computing is today predominantly engulfed by cloud computing services.
These are changing how data and information are managed. The decision-making process is changing in various information and knowledge-intensive and process-oriented industries such as healthcare, banking, transportation, engineering, education, security, just to name a few, despite the fact that roles and services still remain. New and emerging disciplines and services are added, driven by the advancement and greater capabilities of technology. Without a doubt, in the next few years, data and information services will be revolutionized by technology hugely. Consider the development in artificial intelligence, data science, blockchain, 5G, and broadband networks, all of which have huge potential to impact the discipline. This means that information sciences and information systems courses must adapt to take into consideration the emerging skills required by the professionals and businesses of the future. The education and training of professionals in this domain have to be continuously changing to prepare graduates adequately.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations System Administrators?
Dr. Hala ElAarag: I didn't see any negative impact of coronavirus on our graduates. Our graduates did not have any problem finding internships and jobs during the pandemic. After the pandemic, there will be even more demand and opportunities for our graduates.
How do you envision technology impacting Operations System Administrators in the next 5 years?
Edward Moskal: Technology will have a significant impact over the next five years. While technology associated with the software, databases, blockchain, cloud computing, and cybersecurity will still have an impact, we are likely to see significant changes and advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, combinations of augmented and mixed reality, and quantum computing. Industry and business will be driving these advancements, in particular, the healthcare industry and large tech companies like Google and Facebook that have already started establishing a strong presence in these fields.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Operations System Administrators to find work opportunities?
Kathleen Riley: My computer science students from the class of 2020 had a variety of experiences when they entered the job market after graduation. Those who had already signed on at companies like Amazon or Google, whose business stayed strong during the pandemic and whose workplace models adjusted easily to remote work, had a relatively easy time starting their industry jobs. Others, especially those who had planned to work for companies whose business depended on clients or industries which suffered under the pandemic, saw delays, changes in their work plans, and even cancellations of contracts; several found themselves job hunting again over the summer, interviewing remotely and having to assess companies without setting foot outside their own home. Fortunately, there are still a lot of jobs out there for Computer Science graduates, and most of the students I know have found other placements or are well into that process.
We all know about the abundance of computer science opportunities in the Silicon Valley, the Dulles Technology corridor, and other tech hubs, but there is also an abundance of computer science opportunities in large and small cities throughout the country. In addition to businesses whose focus or products are technology-related, many other businesses have significant technology and computer science needs that are provided in-house, and those who thrive and survive will continue to hire.
How do you envision technology impacting Operations System Administrators in the next 5 years?
Christopher Westland: We will continue to see the evolution of trends that we only started paying attention to during the dot-com boom. Information technologies will increasingly substitute for the physical plant in chemistry, biology, medicine, aerospace, and manufacturing. This will make work both transportable and increasingly indistinguishable from what we, today, would call information systems and computer science.
Computer speed, data storage, and network bandwidth are all growing exponentially, every passing year, opening up new fields for virtual modeling and transcending geography. My predictions: in the coming five years, we will begin to see the wholesale replacement of blue-collar jobs by robotics (e.g., truck and taxi drivers, retail salespersons, and security, surveillance, and law enforcement). Universities will see an urgent new demand for programs, but will need to be on their toes.
As the workplace changes, universities will need to add programs that are "fast and filling," allowing students to study hard for short periods, enter into the workforce, and come back for "top-ups" (e.g., executive programs, certificate programs, short degree programs) perhaps every five years as the world and the workplace change. Many of these new offerings will be online, perhaps in an immersive "gaming" format, and will be vastly different from the "lecture hall" courses that have defined university classes in the past.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations System Administrators?
Christopher Westland: There will be, but it won't result in immediate and dramatic change; rather, it will accelerate changes that are currently being debated -- in particular, the value of a physical workspace. The informed opinion exists on both sides: Reed Hastings of Netflix feels that workplaces are needed for productivity, innovation, and community; Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Square feels that they are overrated and is willing to let his employees work at home forever (among them, my daughter, who is a senior engineer at Square and U of I graduate).
The most successful US firms (the FANGs) are team and project-based, rather than being organized into traditional Sloan-type stovepipes. As labor markets become more and more efficient, it is likely that actual work will coalesce around expertise, previously successful teams, and teams and individuals with reputations. People will change employers often, and periodically take sabbaticals. Maternity and lifestyle leave will be expected. As long as universities recognize this evolution of workplace and career opportunities in their program offerings, a university degree will continue to be an important asset for commanding the best jobs.
How do you envision technology impacting Operations System Administrators in the next 5 years?
David Marlett Ph.D.: The impact of technology is going to be massive in insurance like all other professions. Risk identification is going to be more accurate because of the new sources of data and better analytics. Claims will be handled faster using AI, remote working, and drones. Jobs are going to change; skill sets will need to be updated. It will be easier for the current students and recent graduates, in my opinion. We are racing to keep our curriculum current and doing our best to prepare students. They are also just more naturally comfortable with technology and not as upset about moving away from the traditional system.