What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Network and Computer Systems Administrators in the U.S. earn more than $99,130 a year — the middle 80% land between $62,640 and $155,050. About 314,340 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Network and Computer Systems Administrators”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$99,130typical pay / year
314,340people in this work
$155,050+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Fixing3
Make upgrades and repairs to networks
+Schedule a hardware refresh window with procurement and the service desk, stage replacement switches and…
Make upgrades and repairs to networks
+Schedule a hardware refresh window with procurement and the service desk, stage replacement switches and patch leads in the lab, then perform the upgrades overnight and verify port mappings and throughput before 6am.
The tools that do the workAmazon Web Services AWSAnsiblejob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Monitor network performance
+Put continuous monitoring in place across the core and distribution layers, create alerts for CPU, interface…
Monitor network performance
+Put continuous monitoring in place across the core and distribution layers, create alerts for CPU, interface errors and link utilisation, and hand the first-week anomaly report to the IT manager on Monday.
The tools that do the workAmazon Web Services AWSjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Perform system backups and disaster recovery
+Verify yesterday's full server snapshot integrity, restore the Active Directory and one critical file share…
Perform system backups and disaster recovery
+Verify yesterday's full server snapshot integrity, restore the Active Directory and one critical file share to the isolated recovery network, document restore time and any missing data, then schedule the next weekly backup with retention policy updated.
The tools that do the workAmazon Web Services AWSjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work15
Troubleshoot network issues
+Triage the reported outage with the on-call team, isolate the fault to the distribution switch, replace the…
Troubleshoot network issues
+Triage the reported outage with the on-call team, isolate the fault to the distribution switch, replace the failed module, reroute traffic through the standby path, and update the incident ticket with root cause and recovery steps.
The tools that do the workAnsiblejob descriptionsWikipedia
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Ensure network security protocols are implemented
+Verify that the firewall rules, VLAN segmentation, patch levels, and authentication policies we've documented…
Ensure network security protocols are implemented
+Verify that the firewall rules, VLAN segmentation, patch levels, and authentication policies we've documented are applied across the core switches and edge routers, then produce a one-page risk summary for James and schedule remediation this Friday if any gaps remain.
The tools that do the workAnsiblejob descriptionsWikipedia
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Load computer tapes and disks, and install software and printer paper or forms.
+Load the backup tape sets into the tape library, mount the latest system image, install the OS update and the…
Load computer tapes and disks, and install software and printer paper or forms.
+Load the backup tape sets into the tape library, mount the latest system image, install the OS update and the printer driver package, and restock the printer tray with preprinted invoice forms so the accounting floor can print Monday morning.
The tools that do the workAnsibleO*NET
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Coordinate with vendors and with company personnel to facilitate purchases.
+Contact Acme Telecom and Global Hardware procurement, confirm lead times, compare the quoted three-year…
Coordinate with vendors and with company personnel to facilitate purchases.
+Contact Acme Telecom and Global Hardware procurement, confirm lead times, compare the quoted three-year support terms against our purchase orders, then draft a purchase recommendation for Lisa and request budget approval by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workAmazon Web Services AWSO*NET
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Implement and provide technical support for voice services and equipment, such as private branch exchange, voice mail system, and telecom system.
+Install and test the PBX gateway configuration, verify voicemail routing and handset provisioning for the…
Implement and provide technical support for voice services and equipment, such as private branch exchange, voice mail system, and telecom system.
+Install and test the PBX gateway configuration, verify voicemail routing and handset provisioning for the sales and support floors, log any call-quality issues, and give Sam the cutover window for next Tuesday afternoon.
The tools that do the workAnsibleO*NET
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Maintain an inventory of parts for emergency repairs.
+Inventory racks and spare bins, count routers, SFPs, power supplies and patch cables, update the parts log…
Maintain an inventory of parts for emergency repairs.
+Inventory racks and spare bins, count routers, SFPs, power supplies and patch cables, update the parts log with serial numbers and minimum reorder levels, then submit a replenishment request to purchasing if any item falls below two units.
The tools that do the workAmazon DynamoDBO*NET
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Research new technologies by attending seminars, reading trade articles, or taking classes, and implement or recommend the implementation of new technologies.
+Attend the vendor webinar on SD-WAN next Thursday, summarize three applicable features and estimated ROI for…
Research new technologies by attending seminars, reading trade articles, or taking classes, and implement or recommend the implementation of new technologies.
+Attend the vendor webinar on SD-WAN next Thursday, summarize three applicable features and estimated ROI for our branch network, and draft an implementation pilot plan with tasks and timeline to present to Ravi by the following Monday.
The tools that do the workAmazon RedshiftO*NET
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Adjust ICT system capacity
+Increase the compute and I/O headroom for the billing cluster to handle the month-end peak: add two compute…
Adjust ICT system capacity
+Increase the compute and I/O headroom for the billing cluster to handle the month-end peak: add two compute nodes, raise the storage IOPS by 40 percent, verify replication completes within ten minutes, then schedule the capacity change for 02:00 next Tuesday and notify the operations team.
The tools that do the workAmazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2Amazon Web Services AWSESCOsee the evidence ↗
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ICT networking hardware
+Replace the failing aggregation switch on Floor 3 with the spare in rack 9, reterminate the fiber runs,…
ICT networking hardware
+Replace the failing aggregation switch on Floor 3 with the spare in rack 9, reterminate the fiber runs, update the network map to show the new port allocations, run a three-hour stability test during the 23:00 maintenance window, and email the helpdesk and the application owners when complete.
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Determine hardware and software needs
+Assess the data centre and office floors, list routers, switches, firewalls, servers and virtual hosts we…
Determine hardware and software needs
+Assess the data centre and office floors, list routers, switches, firewalls, servers and virtual hosts we need for the next three-year growth plan, specify required OS and management agents, and return a parts-and-licenses cost estimate by Friday.
The tools that do the workAnsiblejob descriptions
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Review system and application logs
+Scan the last 30 days of system and application logs across core routers, mail gateways and the two web…
Review system and application logs
+Scan the last 30 days of system and application logs across core routers, mail gateways and the two web clusters for repeated errors, flag severity one incidents with timestamps and probable root causes, and produce a one-page incident summary for the IT manager by end of day.
The tools that do the workApache Kafkajob descriptions
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Configure email applications and virus protection
+Verify mail client settings and TLS certificates on the mail gateways, confirm endpoint antivirus definitions…
Configure email applications and virus protection
+Verify mail client settings and TLS certificates on the mail gateways, confirm endpoint antivirus definitions and policy deployment status, remediate any machines missing updates, and send a compliance report with outstanding machines to the security lead by noon Wednesday.
The tools that do the workAnsiblejob descriptions
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Document network configurations and procedures
+Create a complete network documentation pack: current VLAN maps, BGP and OSPF configs, rack elevations with…
Document network configurations and procedures
+Create a complete network documentation pack: current VLAN maps, BGP and OSPF configs, rack elevations with device serials, and step-by-step failover and recovery procedures, then upload the pack to the team drive and notify operations for review on Tuesday.
The tools that do the workAnsibleWikipedia
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Plan network expansions and upgrades
+Draft a phased upgrade plan for the campus network: target topology changes, switch and firewall models per…
Plan network expansions and upgrades
+Draft a phased upgrade plan for the campus network: target topology changes, switch and firewall models per closet, bandwidth increases, migration windows with rollback steps, and a procurement list with vendor lead times for the CIO's approval next Monday.
The tools that do the workAnsibleWikipedia
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Design ICT hardware placement
+Walk the server room and three comms cupboards, mark exact rack positions and cable paths for each new…
Design ICT hardware placement
+Walk the server room and three comms cupboards, mark exact rack positions and cable paths for each new appliance, produce a placement diagram with power and cooling notes, and hand the diagram to procurement so they can order quotes by Friday.
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Get approval1
Manage user access and permissions
+Audit group memberships for the finance and HR VLANs, remove stale accounts, apply least-privilege role…
Manage user access and permissions
+Audit group memberships for the finance and HR VLANs, remove stale accounts, apply least-privilege role changes, and produce a signed change log for compliance by Friday lunchtime.
The tools that do the workAmazon Web Services AWSjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Learning1
Train people in computer system use.
+Run a one-hour hands-on session for the operations team on our desktop and VPN workflow, run through login,…
Train people in computer system use.
+Run a one-hour hands-on session for the operations team on our desktop and VPN workflow, run through login, file shares, and remote printing, collect three attendee questions to update the quick-reference guide by Friday.
The tools that do the workAnsiblejob descriptionsO*NET
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses