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.
314,340 people do this job in the US. $99,130 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 86%
- 6%
- 8%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 16%. Today's estimate: 21%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 20 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 29% | 1.7 work days2.5 h to 4.2 work days | 2%Half by Apr 2028 | |
| Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.Done daily by most who do it. | 22% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | 21%Half by May 2027 | |
| Design, configure, and test computer hardware, networking software and operating system software.Done more than yearly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 9% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 4.2 work days | 6%Half by Jan 2028 | |
| Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 7% | 1.3 h25 min to 4.2 h | 69%Half by now | |
| Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 7% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min25 min to 3.3 h | 89%Half by now | |
| Train people in computer system use.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Implement and provide technical support for voice services and equipment, such as private branch exchange, voice mail system, and telecom system.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 4% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | 32%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 2% | 1.7 h25 min to 6.7 h | 43%Half by Nov 2026 | |
| Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 2% | 1.3 h25 min to 4.2 h | 69%Half by now | |
| Gather data pertaining to customer needs, and use the information to identify, predict, interpret, and evaluate system and network requirements.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 2% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | 21%Half by May 2027 | |
| Confer with network users about solutions to existing system problems.Done daily by most who do it. | 2% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).