Network Systems Administrator Career Guide

Network Systems Administrator

L-08

L Other Low voltage and fire alarm jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 15-1244.00

Texas median whole occupation, 2025: $101,240
work over 40 h a week: 40%
load index from O*NET data: 1.7/5
Texas jobs 2024 to 2034: +6.3%

Pay

This level's pay

No published pay record names this level: only 3 filing(s) with this job title; at least 5 are needed. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.

All pay records and context (2)

DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $72,500 · Level II $87,000 · Level III $120,000 · Level IV $123,219 (89 filings, TX) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source
DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level II $130,000 · Level III $104,510 · Level IV $128,100 (8 filings, AZ) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source

Whole occupation: all Network and Computer Systems Administrators, Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
Series OEUS480000000000015124413 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
Based on an estimated 34,840 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000015124401).

Half of all Network and Computer Systems Administrators in Texas earn more than $101,240; the bottom 10% earned less than $63,650 and the top 10% more than $155,430 (May 2025, base pay, about 34,840 jobs). U.S. median $99,130.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Network and Computer Systems Administrators, not level-specific
TWC, BLS
Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03

Texas: +6.3% jobs · about 1,880 openings a year (33,480 jobs in 2024)
United States: -4.2% jobs · about 14,300 openings a year (331,500 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
ONET 31.0
Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), ONET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 30 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 2 in 5 work more than 40 hours a week (40%).

Schedule: regular 87% · irregular 13% · seasonal 0%

Physical load 1.7 of 5, our index from ONET
Method
Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (1.94, 6 measures) and an exposure index (1.47, 7 measures), built from ONET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
O*NET OnLine

Body

Standing2.45
Walking or running2.13
Kneeling or crawling2
Bending or twisting1.9
Climbing ladders1.67
Keeping balance1.47

Exposure

Cramped space1.8
Outdoors, all weather1.6
High places1.6
Very hot or cold1.5
Hazardous conditions1.4
Protective gear1.2
Hazardous equipment1.17

Body 1.94 · exposure 1.47. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License: No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).
Degree: 30% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years of related experience is the most common answer (43% of workers).
O*NET
O*NET Related Work Experience, Network and Computer Systems Administrators, O*NET OnLine
Preparation: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Why this level: Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 3 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).

Moves to the side 6

L Computer Systems Analyst O*NET lists Computer Systems Analysts as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
L Network Technician O*NET lists Computer Network Support Specialists as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
L Network Architect O*NET lists Computer Network Architects as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88.
L Infrastructure Engineer O*NET lists Computer Systems Engineers/Architects as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.85.

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What the work is 6 core tasks

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.

Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.
Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.
Confer with network users about solutions to existing system problems.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

Active Listening
Judgment and Decision Making
Systems Analysis
Systems Evaluation
Troubleshooting
Complex Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Monitoring

Sources (4)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000015124413, read 2026-10-03
Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 15-1244.00 Network and Computer Systems Administrators, read 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

Network Systems Administrator