Eddie Teaches IT
Career Path Tool

Server Administrator Career Overview

Sample Job Titles

• Server Administrator
• Systems Administrator (sysadmin)
• Windows Server Administrator
• Linux Admnistrator

Typical Salary

• $80,000-120,000 ($40-60 per hour)

Typical time and cost to complete training

• 12 months
• $13,000

Eddie Teaches IT Courses Needed to Complete Training for this Position

Networking

Cybersecurity

Servers

(click/tap course to view details)

Job Description

Server Administrators make sure servers are running smoothly and securely. A server is a specialized computer that deals with incoming requests, like a web server that handles requests for web pages. Without web servers, the Internet as we know it could not exist because there would be no way to visit and receive information from a web site. Other types of servers can include print servers, file servers, database servers, DNS servers, and DHCP servers.

A server administrator or systems administrator (sysadmin) ensures these devices run properly. Servers run an operating system, such as Linux or Windows Server. Many server administartor jobs specify the operating system used and require expert knowledge in that operating system. Some jobs require a mix of the two.

A server administrator may also be responsible for managing support staff, purchasing new equipment, and developing IT policies.

Getting a Job

Server Administrators often need to understand the hardware and software aspects of servers. PC Technicians have a natural path for a promotion to a server administrator. Almost any job in IT could serve as a foundation for a promotion to a server administator job, as long as the employee can prove a knowledge of servers, operating systems, and configurations.