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Network and Computer Systems Administrators

SOC 15-1244.00Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers the full career arc of Network and Computer Systems Administrators working in enterprise and multi-site organizational environments, from supervised configuration and monitoring tasks through strategic infrastructure leadership and team development.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Computer hardware and systems software configurations — document and apply under direct supervision in a managed enterprise network environment.
  2. Data backup procedures — execute scheduled backup jobs following established protocols on organizational servers and storage systems.
  3. Network and system problem symptoms — recognize and escalate to senior administrators in a multi-user corporate computing environment.
  4. Email application settings and virus protection software — configure basic parameters under guidance in a standard business IT environment.
  5. Master console monitoring dashboards — observe system performance metrics and report anomalies to senior staff during routine operations.
  6. Network performance baseline data — collect and log using standard monitoring tools in a supervised enterprise network environment.
  7. Network security policies — review and apply predefined access control rules under direction in a production IT environment.
  8. Equipment performance logs — retrieve and compile records for senior review to support repair or replacement decisions.
  9. Technical documentation and vendor manuals — read and interpret to support assigned configuration and maintenance tasks in a corporate IT setting.
  10. Ticketing and incident management systems — use to record, update, and track hardware and software issues in a help-desk-supported environment.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Computer networks and related computing environments — administer and maintain with reduced oversight across hardware, software, and configuration layers in a mid-sized enterprise.
  2. Disaster recovery operations — execute and validate restoration procedures following documented recovery plans in a business-critical server environment.
  3. Hardware, software, and network faults — diagnose and resolve using structured troubleshooting methodologies and replace defective components in a production network.
  4. Email platforms and endpoint virus protection software — configure, monitor, and tune to meet organizational security standards in a corporate messaging environment.
  5. Master console tools — operate to coordinate network access, monitor system performance, and respond to alerts across a multi-server enterprise environment.
  6. Network performance metrics — analyze trend data to identify bottlenecks and recommend capacity adjustments in a growing organizational network.
  7. Network security measures — plan and implement firewall rules, access controls, and patch schedules to protect data and systems in a regulated business environment.
  8. Equipment performance records — analyze patterns over time to make informed repair-or-replacement recommendations to IT management.
  9. Database management system software — maintain user accounts, permissions, and routine maintenance tasks in support of enterprise applications.
  10. Technical findings and status updates — communicate clearly in written reports and verbal briefings to IT peers and non-technical stakeholders in a corporate setting.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Enterprise network infrastructure and computing environments — autonomously design, administer, and optimize across full hardware, software, and configuration scope in a complex multi-site organization.
  2. Backup architectures and disaster recovery plans — author, test, and refine to meet RPO and RTO targets in a business-continuity-focused enterprise environment.
  3. Complex, non-routine hardware, software, and network failures — independently diagnose, resolve, and document root causes using advanced troubleshooting in high-availability production systems.
  4. Enterprise email platforms and security software suites — architect configurations, evaluate new tools, and enforce compliance with organizational security policies across the full user base.
  5. System and network performance consoles — leverage to proactively coordinate access controls, optimize resource utilization, and preempt service degradations across a large enterprise.
  6. Network performance analysis — conduct in-depth capacity planning studies and translate findings into actionable infrastructure upgrade recommendations for IT leadership.
  7. Comprehensive network security programs — design and implement including intrusion detection, vulnerability management, and incident response procedures in a risk-conscious enterprise environment.
  8. Equipment lifecycle data — evaluate systematically to develop evidence-based replacement and investment strategies aligned with organizational operational needs.
  9. ERP and enterprise application integrations — assess, configure, and troubleshoot to ensure reliable connectivity between business systems in a complex technology ecosystem.
  10. Critical thinking and systems analysis — apply to evaluate emerging technologies and recommend adoption strategies that align with organizational IT architecture goals.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Enterprise-wide network and systems strategy — define and lead implementation across all infrastructure layers, setting long-term technical direction for a large or multi-site organization.
  2. Disaster recovery and business continuity governance — establish organizational standards, oversee testing cadences, and ensure regulatory compliance across all systems and sites.
  3. Organizational incident response capability — build and lead, directing senior administrators through complex, high-impact outages and establishing post-incident improvement processes.
  4. Information security posture — champion and govern enterprise-wide, integrating network security policy with risk management frameworks and executive-level reporting requirements.
  5. IT infrastructure investment decisions — drive by synthesizing equipment performance data, capacity trends, and business objectives into multi-year capital planning recommendations for executive leadership.
  6. Network performance and reliability standards — establish organizational benchmarks, oversee continuous monitoring programs, and hold teams accountable for service-level commitments.
  7. Systems administration team — mentor, develop, and lead, building technical depth across emerging and developing practitioners in a large enterprise IT department.
  8. Vendor and technology partnerships — manage strategically, evaluating enterprise software, hardware, and telecommunications contracts to optimize cost, capability, and organizational alignment.
  9. Cross-functional IT governance — collaborate with business unit leaders, security officers, and compliance teams to align network and systems administration practices with enterprise objectives.
  10. Organizational knowledge management — institutionalize by overseeing documentation standards, runbooks, and knowledge-sharing practices that sustain operational resilience across the IT function.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Show O*NET source anchors66 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
AI Security Specialist (Artificial Intelligence Security Specialist) · Application Security Administrator · Application Systems Administrator · Computer Systems Security Administrator · E-Mail System Administrator · Enterprise Systems Administrator · Hardware Installation Coordinator · Information Analyst · Information Systems Administrator · Information Systems Coordinator (IS Coordinator) · Information Systems Operator · Information Technology Administrator (IT Administrator)
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSystems AnalysisJudgment and Decision MakingTroubleshootingSystems EvaluationMonitoringComplex Problem SolvingActive ListeningProgrammingOperations MonitoringSpeakingQuality Control AnalysisWritingOperations AnalysisActive LearningTime ManagementManagement of Personnel ResourcesOperation and ControlEquipment MaintenanceRepairingService OrientationMathematicsSocial PerceptivenessCoordination
Knowledge domains
Computers and ElectronicsEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal ServiceEngineering and TechnologyTelecommunicationsMathematicsAdministrative
Abilities
Problem SensitivityInformation OrderingWritten ComprehensionDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningOral ExpressionNear VisionOral ComprehensionSpeech RecognitionWritten Expression
Work styles
Attention to DetailDependabilityCautiousnessIntegrityIntellectual CuriosityAdaptability
Technology
Access softwareInternet directory services softwareEnterprise resource planning ERP softwareDocument management softwareDevelopment environment softwareWeb page creation and editing softwareObject or component oriented development softwareWeb platform development softwareData base management system softwareData base user interface and query software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
  2. Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
  3. Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
  4. Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.
  5. Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use.
  6. Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future.
  7. Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.
  8. Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement.
CIP education codes
11.010111.100111.1003

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.