System administrators are people who install and monitor computer systems at companies to make sure that they run efficiently and meet the organizations’ long-term objectives. Factors that affect a system administrator’s salary include the amount of training that he or she has completed as well as the number of years that he or she has worked in the field. The employee’s type of facility and regional location also impacts his or her pay.
A major factor that affects a system administrator’s salary is his or her level of education. Many employers require that a system administrator possess at least a four-year bachelor’s degree in computer science, while some businesses might accept people who have just two-year associate degrees. These companies, however, often prefer job candidates who have attained a two-year master’s degree in the field. Undergraduate training is necessary to give a person the foundational knowledge that he or she must have to succeed in an entry-level job position, but graduate school makes an administrator more prepared for leadership roles, which offer bigger salaries.
The number of years that a person works in this industry additionally has an impact on his or her pay level. A professional who has worked more than two decades in the field easily can earn up to as much as three times the amount that someone who has worked less than a year in this career area receives. Experience impacts a system administrator’s salary because an employer assumes that an individual who has worked more years in the field is more knowledgeable about how to best help the organization to achieve its computer technology goals.
The type of establishment in which a professional in this field works has a bearing on his or her income as well. For instance, a computer system manager who works at public schools tends to earn less than one who works for a wired telecommunications carrier or other large enterprise. This matters when looking at a system administrator’s salary because schools are non-profit organizations. They therefore cannot spend as liberally on salaries as can companies that are in business to make profits.
An individual needs to consider his or her location when determining the wage that he or she will earn. A company’s region influences a system administrator’s salary because an employer in a larger municipality typically pays more to workers than does a company in a smaller, non-urban location. Bigger cities feature more potential clients, so organizations that cater to them have the potential to bring in more revenue and therefore pay higher salaries.
