NextChapter

Entry-level systems administrator jobs: what the job is, skills and open roles

A systems administrator keeps servers, accounts and company software running and secure. Entry versions handle routine admin tasks and monitoring. Right now 1,357 entry-level systems administrator jobs are open on employers’ own career sites.

What a systems administrator does

In the technology and it family of jobs. Roles that build, test, secure and support software and systems.

A typical day

  1. 1. Manage user accounts and permissions
  2. 2. Apply updates and patches
  3. 3. Monitor systems
  4. 4. Back up and restore
  5. 5. Respond to incidents

Do you need experience?

8 of the 1,357 open entry-level systems administrator jobs say in their own text that no experience is required. 3 say they provide training. The figures are counted from the posting text and change as jobs open and close.

Open entry-level systems administrator jobs

Taken from employers’ own career sites and checked to still be open within the last week.

Showing the newest 15 of about 1,357 verified open jobs here. Search all jobs

Search all systems administrator jobs

Skills for systems administrator jobs

The skills this job uses, most important first. Most can be learned or shown before the first day.

Skills to build or show

  1. 1. Windows or Linux administration
  2. 2. Active Directory or Entra ID
  3. 3. Scripting basics
  4. 4. Networking basics
  5. 5. Documentation

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The market for systems administrator work

Every figure names its source.

Open entry-level systems administrator jobs
1,357

Source: NextChapter, checked against employer career sites, last 7 days.

See the detail →
Openings that say no experience is required
8

Source: The posting’s own text, counted by NextChapter.

See the detail →
Openings that say they provide training
3

Source: The posting’s own text, counted by NextChapter.

Median pay in listings that state it
$103,000

Source: NextChapter verified openings (341 with pay).

See the detail →
Employment outlook, the closest government category
Projected to shrink 4% from 2025 to 2035.

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035.

AI use at work, the closest government category
Among network and computer systems administrators, AI is already used for a large share of the tasks.

Source: Anthropic Economic Index.

Across 341 open entry-level systems administrator listings that state an annual pay figure, the middle half run from $86,500 to $124,000, with a median of $103,000. Listings that state pay are not every listing, and some roles add commission or bonus on top.

Outlook and AI-use figures are for the government category “Network and computer systems administrators”, the closest match to this job.

Where entry-level systems administrator jobs are

Between jobs? Unemployment benefits and severance rules in these states, or in every state.

Employers hiring systems administrators now

  • Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield 17
  • Premera Blue Cross 16
  • Leidos 14
  • SpaceX 13
  • Robert Half 12
  • ClearanceJobs 11
  • BAE Systems 10
  • Peraton 9
  • RTX 9
  • WakeMed 9

More jobs like systems administrator

Roles that use the same skills, and where this job commonly leads.

Where it can lead

Similar entry-level jobs

All entry-level technology and it jobs · Systems Administrator jobs at every level

Questions about systems administrator jobs

What does a systems administrator do?
A systems administrator keeps servers, accounts and company software running and secure. Entry versions handle routine admin tasks and monitoring. A typical day includes: manage user accounts and permissions; apply updates and patches; monitor systems; back up and restore; respond to incidents.
Can I get an entry-level systems administrator job with no experience?
8 of the 1,357 open entry-level systems administrator jobs say in their own text that no experience is required. 3 say they provide training. The figures are counted from the posting text and change as jobs open and close.
What skills do you need to be a systems administrator?
The skills this job uses most are windows or linux administration, active directory or entra ID, scripting basics, networking basics, documentation. Most can be learned before the first day through coursework, short courses, practice or a related job.
How much does an entry-level systems administrator make?
Across 341 open entry-level systems administrator listings that state an annual pay figure, the middle half run from $86,500 to $124,000, with a median of $103,000. Listings that state pay are not every listing, and some roles add commission or bonus on top.
Where can a systems administrator job lead?
People in this job commonly move to DevOps or cloud engineer, cybersecurity analyst, network technician, IT help desk technician. The link between jobs is the shared skills; the path is not guaranteed and depends on the employer.

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