Career Path

Network or Computer System Administrator

Overview

In this career, your responsibilities may include:

Monitoring and maintaining the regular daily operation of an organization’s computer networks.

Job Titles

In your job search, you may find job listings for this career under different titles. You can find some examples of these, as well as more information about this career, at Career One Stop.

Academic Requirements

Typically requires a bachelor’s degree, although some employers may hire candidates with an associate degree or even no degree if you have substantial work experience. Obtaining a higher degree can make you eligible for careers with greater responsibility and higher salaries in this career pathway, if you do not already have the U.S. equivalent of a higher degree.

Certification

Certification is not required, but could make employers more likely to hire you or offer you a higher salary.

You may be eligible for the following System Administrator certifications:

Oracle Linux System Administrator

Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)

CompTIA Server+

VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV)

You may be eligible for the following Network Administrator certifications:

CompTIA A+

CompTIA Network+

CompTIA Security+

Cisco CCNA

Cisco CCNP

Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)

Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)

VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
Licensure

Licensure is not required to work as a Network and Computer System Administrator.
Mutual Recognition Agreement
A Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) is an agreement between two or more jurisdictions to accept the educational or professional credentials granted under each other’s authority. This means that if you graduated with a specific degree or earned certain professional qualifications in a country covered under an MRA, your credentials may be automatically recognized here in the U.S.

The Seoul Accord is an MRA between accrediting organizations in multiple countries to recognize each other’s academic qualifications. If you graduated from an accredited computing or other IT program in one of the 8 non-U.S. jurisdictions covered by the Seoul Accord, then your degree may already be declared substantially equivalent to a degree from a U.S. program, and you may not need to obtain a credential evaluation. However, individual state licensing boards have the final authority on whether or not a particular degree meets their specific requirements for licensure. MRAs are not legally binding, and some states may choose not to recognize credentials covered under an MRA.
- In addition to the U.S., the jurisdictions that have signed to the Seoul Accord are: Australia; Canada; Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; Japan; Korea; Mexico; Taiwan, Republic of China; and United Kingdom.