Career Explorer Computing and maths
Changing shape
Network and computer systems administrators
Install, configure, and maintain an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers. Perform system monitoring and verify the integrity and availability of hardware, network, and server resources and systems. Review system and application logs and verify completion of scheduled jobs, including system backups. Analyze network and server resource consumption and control user access. Install and upgrade software and maintain software licenses. May assist in network modeling, analysis, planning, and coordination between network and data communications hardware and software.
Among the careers AI is changing fastest: more resilient than 3% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it very high), and US jobs are projected to change by -4.1% by 2035, expected to shrink. The work leans on creative vision and ethical judgement.
AI can do many of the tasks, and hiring is expected to grow slower than average or to shrink. The job is likely to change, so build the human parts of it.
- Median pay (2025)
- $99,130
- Job growth to 2035
- -4.1%
- Openings a year
- 13,400
- People doing it (2025)
- 324,000
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Advise others on the design or use of technologies
- Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment
- Monitor operation of computer or information technologies
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Implement security measures for computer or information systems
- Analyze data to improve operations
- Maintain operational records
What the work looks like
- Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.
- Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
- Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
- Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
- Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- Fewer of these jobs, as job duties are increasingly performed by DevOps engineers and similar roles, including software developers, and as workers increasingly use third-party automation tools or artificial intelligence (AI) to automate routine tasks.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Information security analystsGrows with AI, Index 24, +21.0%
- Industrial engineering technologists and techniciansChanging shape, Index 47, +3.1%
- ChemistsGrows with AI, Index 34, +6.4%
- Computer occupations, all otherGrows with AI, Index 14, +5.1%
Also known as: LAN Administrator (Local Area Network Administrator), Network Administrator (Network Admin), Network Engineer, Systems Engineer, LAN Specialist (Local Area Network Specialist), Network Analyst, Network Coordinator, Network Manager.
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.