41 Honest Systems Administrator Salaries

For all those companies who need their network hardware installed, their device software updated, their network security settings configured, or their users’ permissions updated frequently, a systems administrator is an indispensable teammate. If you’re a systems administrator looking for work (or you’re thinking about getting into the job), you need to know what a competitive salary looks like. It’s how you can know whether you’re being paid what you’re worth for the valuable work you do for your company and team.

We’ve gathered salary information for systems administrators from all over the country and analyzed the results for you. Read on to learn what a well-paid systems administrator knows and how they justify their salary.

What is a Systems Administrator?

A systems administrator (also known sometimes as a sysad or sysadmin) is typically an entry-level IT staff member who’s responsible for performing hands-on technological repair and maintenance. Systems administrators ensure that a company’s technologies—hardware, software, and network—operate as they are intended to. They may work with an employee’s desktop computer, the servers and switches that keep the network running, or the firewalls and security devices that keep data secure.

Some systems administrators work in person, manually visiting devices to perform manual updates or physical installations. Others might work remotely, applying updates, installing software, and troubleshooting virtually. They may also train other employees on new hardware and software, sometimes even writing in-house training documentation. Some systems administrators, usually those with more experience, can even help gather information about device and network usage and recommend network design changes.

Systems administrators may often be lower on the career ladder, but they’re essential. As a jumping-off point to other careers with higher salaries, they are a great place to get experience and knowledge for later.

41 Real Salaries for Systems Administrators

If you think the description of a systems administrator's job is intriguing, you may now be interested in how much they get paid. We gathered salary information from job postings and descriptions from all over the United States to get a sense of what salaries and opportunities were available. We came away with a different picture based on two different perspectives: how experienced the systems administrator was and where they were working.

Below, you’ll find a chart of the systems administrator salaries available in 41 different cities from ZipRecruiter. We split them into three ranges: the low-end average, overall average, and high-end average. 

The high-end averages represent highly competitive jobs or postings for sysads with extensive training and experience. The low-end averages are generally where entry-level and novice systems administrators fall.

• The national average salary for a Systems Administrator is $88,927.

• The national average high for a Systems Administrator is $104,000.

• The national average low for a Systems Administrator is $70,000.

After reviewing the following chart, read on and see what factors can move your salary upward.

The gap between high and low salaries is now much wider — and more meaningful. In most cities, the difference between a low-end and high-end sysadmin salary is now closer to $30,000–$35,000, not the previous $18,000. For example, in Seattle, entry-level sysadmins average $79,000, while top-tier roles average $118,000 — a nearly $40,000 difference. That’s a big leap for staying in the same job title.

The floor has been raised. The lowest low-end average on the list is now $57,000 (Mobile, AL), and the national low-end average is $70,000. Just a few years ago, entry-level roles commonly paid in the $40K–$50K range. If you’re starting your sysadmin career now, your baseline is significantly better than it used to be.

The ceiling is rising even faster. While the national average for sysadmin salaries is $88,927, the high-end average nationally is $104,000 — and in places like San Francisco and Sunnyvale, CA, the high end hits $122,000. Coastal tech hubs and government-heavy regions like Washington, D.C. and New York are pushing that ceiling upward.

Your location still matters — a lot. The best-paying cities are largely coastal and high-cost-of-living metros. Of the top 12 cities by average salary, all of them are in California, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, or D.C. You don’t hit a non-coastal location until #13: Lakewood, CO.

The cost of living affects pay — but not always equally. Yes, higher salaries tend to appear in pricier areas. But when you compare McAllen, TX ($84K average) with Killeen, TX ($79K average), the cost of living isn’t dramatically different — yet a sysadmin in McAllen can make $5,000+ more on average. Sometimes, it's just about the local job market demand and employer competition.

Entry-level pay is more consistent across markets — but high-end pay varies wildly. Low-end averages are generally in the $60K–$70K range, regardless of city. High-end averages, however, fluctuate from $85K in Mobile, AL, to $122K in Silicon Valley. That means experienced sysadmins looking for major raises may need to relocate or transition into adjacent roles with more responsibility.

4 Salary Considerations for Systems Administrators

We’ve now got a sense of what systems administrators around the country are getting paid. Next up is what to do about it. Our chart of salaries shows that location matters a lot. But is that the only thing that explains cities like Mobile, Alabama, where a low-paid sysadmin might get paid $57,000 a year? Far from it.

Four things help move a systems administrator's salary toward the high-end average: overall work and education experience, hands-on knowledge with systems administration tools, industry certifications, and the industry you work in. Below, we’ll explore each of these four elements in depth.

Experience Requirements for Systems Administrators

Ideally, a systems administrator would have a bachelor’s degree in information technology or computer science, along with several years of hands-on experience managing IT systems. But let’s be honest—that’s not always realistic for many aspiring (or even current) sysadmins. Plenty of successful systems administrators never earned a four-year degree. That said, having one can definitely help your resume rise to the top of the pile.

For many people, an associate’s degree is a more attainable option in terms of both time and cost, and it can still make a big difference when applying for jobs.

More important than any diploma, though, is real-world experience. Being a systems administrator is a practical, technical job—not a theoretical one. Employers are looking for candidates who’ve worked with local area networks, managed databases, upgraded hardware and software, and solved actual user or connectivity issues.

If you're stuck in that all-too-familiar loop of needing experience to get a job but needing a job to get experience, consider volunteering with nonprofits, churches, or other local organizations. It can be tough to find the time, but that kind of hands-on work is exactly what hiring managers want to see.

4 Systems Administrator Tools You'll Need to Know

Whether your education is formal or informal, there are tools and technologies used in systems administration that represent a baseline of knowledge. You’d pick these up if you pursued a 2- or 4-year degree. But they’re not just knowledge-based; they also represent comfort and familiarity that can only come from the experience an employer is looking for.

Active Directory

Active Directory (AD) is a system for managing users, devices, and access so that the right people have access to the data they need, but only the data they should see. It is one of the most basic IT proficiencies in the book. A systems administrator who doesn’t know how to manage or troubleshoot AD will be lost for much of every workday.

Salary impact of Active Directory: Huge. Having to say that you’re “actually not that comfortable with Active Directory” is one of the last things you ever want to admit in a job interview. Even if you’re interviewing for a systems administrator position that doesn’t focus on AD, knowing Active Directory is a fundamental part of managing a network of users, and employers often expect it.

Scripting

Obviously, the ability to manage and configure devices and networks is fundamental for earning a systems administrator’s salary. But scripting is often a line in the sand that separates the novices from the pros. Scripts are how administrative tasks get summarized, scheduled, and automated. A systems administrator who can script the administrative work they normally do can save so much time and effort that they make themselves orders of magnitude more valuable.

Salary impact of scripting tools: Huge. Scripting doesn’t mean you have the solution for every problem pre-written. Instead, a systems administrator who knows how to script knows how to approach complex technological problems with a solutions-mindset and write automated processes to fix them permanently. Many employers know that. Hence, they pay better salaries for sysads who know scripting.

Network Traffic Monitoring Tools

A systems administrator’s core job is fixing technology problems — but that’s impossible without solid data. Network traffic monitoring tools like Wireshark give sysadmins the visibility they need to catch issues early and resolve the root cause instead of just treating symptoms.

There are lots of tools out there — some open-source, some proprietary — and every company has its preferences. The key isn’t memorizing how to use one specific platform. It’s being comfortable with interpreting the data these tools provide, no matter the interface.

Salary impact of network traffic monitoring tools: Huge. Systems administrators who can read and act on diagnostic network data are more effective problem-solvers. It’s the difference between guessing and knowing what’s wrong. That kind of skill doesn't just help your team — it makes you a far more valuable hire.

Google

The great thing about working with technology is that, in almost all cases, someone else has already had the problem, figured it out, and written a blog post about it in some dark corner of the internet. Admittedly, during your job interview, you probably shouldn’t say that you don’t know very much, but can Google really well. But for the arc of your entire career, learning how to use Google really well, including excellent filters and advanced searches with Boolean logic, can make you look like a rockstar.

Salary impact of search engine knowledge: Considerable. You can probably assume that most employers won’t have a sliding salary scale based on how well you Google things. But as you go through your career, the more times you can say, “Let me find out,” rather than, “I don’t know,” the closer you get to making great impressions and chances at a great salary.

Certifications a Systems Administrator Should Consider

Even for systems administrators with a few years of experience, pursuing an industry certification can feel daunting. For newcomers, it can seem downright overwhelming. Between the prep time, exam fees, and uncertainty about the payoff, it’s easy to question whether certs are worth it.

But they are — no matter where you are in your career.

Professional organizations issue some certifications to validate your ability to handle all the responsibilities of a role like a systems administrator. Others come from hardware or software vendors and prove your expertise with specific technologies. Either way, certifications give employers confidence. They remove the guesswork from hiring and promotion decisions. When two candidates seem equally qualified, the one with a cert often stands out as the safer bet.

If your goal is to land the best-paying sysadmin jobs, certifications aren’t just helpful — they’re essential.

CompTIA Certifications for Systems Administrators

CompTIA publishes certifications based on broad industry knowledge related to positions and not tied to vendors or manufacturers. Two of their certifications are great for brand-new systems administrators: the CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) and the CompTIA A+. For more experienced sysadmins looking to specialize, the CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ are perfect for showing limited expertise in those subjects.

Salary impact of earning CompTIA certs: Huge. CompTIA is one of the most respected certification vendors in the IT world. The A+ is so common among IT professionals that having it is nearly a given in most careers. The ITF+ isn’t usually as crucial for moving the salary needle, but it is an excellent pre-entry-level cert that can help you identify gaps in your knowledge or which areas of IT you like working in the most. All are highly respected by employers and have a proven track record of improving salary prospects for new hires and experienced systems administrators.

Cisco Certifications for Systems Administrators

Cisco is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of network technology. Its routers, servers, and switches provide network access to companies everywhere, and having a certification from them proves that a systems administrator is comfortable with its equipment. The Cisco Certified Technician (CCT) is aimed at technicians with less experience in the field and focuses on diagnosing, restoring, and repairing Cisco equipment. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is a broader cert aimed at more advanced skills.

Salary impact of earning Cisco certs: Huge. While Cisco certifications prove, without a doubt, a systems administrator’s comfort in working with Cisco equipment, a lot of the knowledge can also apply to non-Cisco setups. The CCT and CCNA deal with some broad networking skills and knowledge that aren’t unique to Cisco. Those two certs are almost always great ways to start a career in IT.

Microsoft Certifications for Systems Administrators

Microsoft used to offer broader certifications like the MSCA, but they recently changed their certifications to role-based certifications. Now, entry-level (or associate) certifications from Microsoft are tied to the product the administrator supports. There are several administrator certification paths, including Azure Administrator and Microsoft 365 Modern Desktop Associate. 

Salary impact of earning Microsoft administrator certs: Considerable. If you’re already working for a company that uses Microsoft tools extensively, earning the right Microsoft cert can help your salary in a number of ways. For one thing, earning one will just make you better at your job. But also, you can move to different teams or upward in responsibility by earning the right cert. The same applies if you’re trying to land a job at a company like that — the right cert can show you understand the work and are ready to hit the ground running.

What Type of Companies Need Systems Administrators?

Being mindful of how the industry you work for can impact your career progression is the last important factor in earning the best salary as a systems administrator. The more prevalent the position of systems administrator is within an industry, the more likely you are to find a competitive salary. On the other hand, promotions and new jobs are more likely to be competitive as well.

Computer Design Firms

These include companies that create the hardware, software, and infrastructure that power modern computing. That can mean everything from global software developers to smaller boutique firms building communication tools or networking solutions. These companies rely on strong internal networks and often develop their products on those very systems.

Career impact for systems administrators working for computer design firms: Significant. These companies typically understand the value of experienced systems administrators and have clear paths for growth. That also means the most desirable jobs are highly competitive — but with the right skills and certifications, it’s a strong, long-term career move.

Telecommunications

Telecom companies — from giants like AT&T and T-Mobile to regional providers — run vast, complex networks that can’t afford downtime. That creates a constant need for skilled sysadmins, whether they’re maintaining internal systems or working on customer-facing infrastructure.

Career impact for systems administrators working in telecommunications: Significant. Telecom companies depend on reliability, which puts systems administrators at the center of operations. These roles often come with solid pay and clear growth potential, though they can also be high-pressure environments.

Finance and Insurance

Banks, investment firms, fintech app creators, and insurers all run on fast, secure, and reliable networks. While not all companies in these industries are known for being tech-focused, they still rely heavily on IT, especially as more operations move online.

Career impact for systems administrators working in finance and insurance: Considerable. These companies may not always have clear-cut career ladders for IT staff, but they’re often willing to pay well for sysadmins who can keep networks secure and responsive. If you’re focused on salary more than upward mobility, this can be a strong niche — just be aware that promotions might be harder to come by.

How to Increase Your Salary as a Systems Administrator

For many, systems administration is just the beginning of a long and rewarding IT career. It’s a launchpad to roles in cloud architecture, cybersecurity, or network engineering—but only if you build a strong foundation first.

To boost your salary, focus on four key areas: education, certifications, experience, and industry. Think of each as a lever you can adjust. Stuck in a role with no room for growth? Level up your skills with a new cert. Not getting enough hands-on experience? Look for a company that works with larger or more complex networks.

Always keep an eye on the market. Salaries can vary dramatically between cities, sometimes even within the same state. Use our salary chart as a starting point, and don’t be afraid to explore opportunities beyond your zip code.

No matter where you are in your career, be strategic, stay curious, and never stop advocating for your worth. 

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