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What is a pc systems administrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Ranganathan Chandrasekaran
The average pc systems administrator salary is $52,726. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an computer science major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a pc systems administrator. Pc systems administrators with a Security 5 Certification certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 18,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a pc systems administrator?

Ranganathan ChandrasekaranRanganathan Chandrasekaran LinkedIn profile

Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Illinois

As we roll into another month of the COVID-19 pandemic, graduating students are facing one of the worst moments of their lives. They face several uncertainties; due to financial challenges, uncertainty about completing their degrees on time, adjusting to online and hybrid modes of learning, and worst of all, facing the worst job market. As a result, I see the stress and anxiety levels among the graduating students to be significantly higher, at levels I have not experienced in my academic career.

Several businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, and they have rolled back their offers made to students for internships and jobs. Businesses have also resorted to downsizing and layoffs, and we are likely to see that continue, at least in the near term. However, two sectors that are showing promises of a quick turnaround are technology and healthcare.

It might take many months for the economy to get back on track, but the demand for information systems graduates is likely to grow, as a large number of businesses have turned to increased use of technology in this pandemic period. As more companies go digital, we need more professionals to manage the remote-work, technological infrastructure and meet the other demands of the business. Students pursuing education in information systems, computer science, and healthcare are going to be in greater demand.

On the positive side, the uncertainties induced by the pandemic have also helped students to prepare themselves better for a tougher job market. I found many students rise up and use the lockdown period to have a serious introspection and invest their time and effort in upgrading their knowledge and skills. The internship drought and rescinding of job/internship offers brought their dreams crashing down, but I found several students to quickly get over their disappointments, and engage in improving their skillsets utilizing the pandemic lockdown as an opportunity. I am aware of many students, especially in the information systems disciple, who spent time doing online courses, completing certification programs, and take up DIY projects on data analysis, developing analytical and forecasting models, and visualization of various aspects of the pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in massive amounts of data, released by several organizations worldwide, that have provided a stimulant for students to indulge in DIY-projects. I had several students approach me over summer to do some projects, and we have done some interesting projects using public datasets related to COVID-19.
ScorePC Systems AdministratorUS Average
Salary
4.1

Avg. Salary $52,726

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 8.70%

Black or African American 9.18%

Hispanic or Latino 12.86%

Unknown 5.11%

White 63.84%

Gender

female 16.67%

male 83.33%

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

Pc systems administrator career paths

Key steps to become a pc systems administrator

  1. Explore pc systems administrator education requirements

    Most common pc systems administrator degrees

    Bachelor's

    47.7 %

    Associate

    40.0 %

    Diploma

    4.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific pc systems administrator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Desk Support8.91%
    Computer System8.85%
    Windows Server8.43%
    Network Printers5.15%
    Troubleshoot4.47%
  3. Complete relevant pc systems administrator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pc systems 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 pc systems administrator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pc systems administrator resumes.
  4. Research pc systems administrator duties and responsibilities

    • Manage VPN access for users.
    • Manage telecommunications equipment including Cisco (Tanberg), Polycomm, and Cisco VOIP devices.
    • Lead enterprise-wide virtualization effort, overseeing and personally completing vendor/hardware qualifications, architecture/design, installation, configuration, migration and documentation.
    • Interface with vendors to troubleshoot issues and update software versions.
  5. Prepare your pc systems administrator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pc systems 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 pc systems 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 pc systems administrator resume templates

    Build a professional pc systems 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 pc systems administrator resume.
    PC Systems Administrator Resume
    PC Systems Administrator Resume
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    PC Systems Administrator Resume
    PC Systems Administrator Resume
  6. Apply for pc systems administrator jobs

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

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

How did you land your first pc systems administrator job

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Average pc systems administrator salary

The average pc systems administrator salary in the United States is $52,726 per year or $25 per hour. Pc systems administrator salaries range between $46,000 and $59,000 per year.

Average pc systems administrator salary
$52,726 Yearly
$25.35 hourly

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Pc systems administrator reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology

Cons

I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

Working with The people

Cons

There was nothing to like. Everyone was polite an hard workers


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

I decided to go to technical support because I've been fascinated by technology all my life and I love working with the people as well. I want to use my technical know-how to solve directly the problems that customers have. I want to be the person who makes life easier and more enjoyable for people who have had a problem. This is what I like most as a technical Support.

Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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