System administrator

A system administrator (also called a network manager) is in charge of maintaining and operating a business's network infrastructure.

Skills

Today, network infrastructure is such an integral part of most businesses that network unavailability may sometimes mean unavoidable financial losses, which may, in some rare cases, lead to bankruptcy.

The network administrator must be able to monitor activity on the network, and call in technicians quickly if congestion or access problems arise. He/she must also have a very precise knowledge of all network equipment, various communication protocols, the OSI model and different network architectures.

He/she is also in charge of managing user accounts, creating them for new staff members and deleting them when they leave the company. What's more, in light of the fast-changing pace of technology and transmission media, the network administrator must keep up with the latest advances in order to upgrade the company's network infrastructure.

As with a security manager, the network administrator is in charge of implementing suitable protection measures, monitoring logs, and keeping a close watch on security alerts. In anticipation of potential dangers, he/she has to come up with a recovery plan defining what to do to restore access as quickly as possible, in accordance with the company's security policy.

Salary

A network administrator's salary may vary from $40k-$60k (£20k-£30k) a year, depending on the size and complexity of the company's network.

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