Community Sentiment
Do you agree?
Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?
AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Network and Computer Systems Administrators?
Task-level automation exposure for Network and Computer Systems Administrators: 20 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
63%
weighted task index
20 of 20 tasks scored
Median Salary
$99,130 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Very High
314,340 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
-4.1%
employment change
13,400 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 53 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$54,200 – $118,290
Highest medians
Maryland $118,290
New Jersey $116,420
Massachusetts $110,980
District of Columbia $110,970
Virginia $109,610
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $54,200
Guam $59,820
West Virginia $74,490
South Dakota $75,010
Wyoming $75,220
State figures come from the 15-1244 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 63%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 11%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 40%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 10%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 23/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
20 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 61%
12 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 36%
7 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 3%
1 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#1319 · Core · 65% automatable
Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.
text generation — AI drafts security policies; human approves
Implement security measures for computer or information systems. Develop computer or information security policies or procedures.
#1317 · Core · 68% automatable
Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
data analysis — Backup configuration largely automatable with oversight
Implement security measures for computer or information systems. Create electronic data backup to prevent loss of information.
#15205 · Core · 57% automatable
Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
decision support — AI assists diagnosis; human executes fixes
Resolve computer network problems. Troubleshoot issues with computer applications or systems. Resolve computer software problems.
#1318 · Core · 45% automatable
Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
decision support — AI configures/diagnoses networks; physical and risky changes need humans
Maintain computer networks to enhance performance and user access.
#15206 · Core · 60% automatable
Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.
decision support — Security implementation needs human judgment and deployment
Implement security measures for computer or information systems.
#1324 · Core · 59% automatable
Confer with network users about solutions to existing system problems.
decision support — IT troubleshooting collaboration well-supported by AI
Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues. Provide technical support for computer network issues.
#1320 · Core · 85% automatable
Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use.
data analysis — AI monitors network performance via telemetry
Monitor the performance of computer networks.
#1330 · Core · 80% automatable
Maintain logs related to network functions, as well as maintenance and repair records.
text generation — Draft network activity documentation from inputs
Document network-related activities or tasks.
#1325 · Core · 85% automatable
Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future.
data analysis — AI monitors network performance via telemetry
Monitor the performance of computer networks.
#1322 · Core · 59% automatable
Design, configure, and test computer hardware, networking software and operating system software.
data analysis — AI can run and analyze software performance tests
Test computer hardware performance. Test software performance. Design integrated computer systems.
#1332 · Core · 72% automatable
Maintain an inventory of parts for emergency repairs.
data analysis — Equipment inventory tracking largely software-driven
Maintain the inventory of equipment.
#1321 · Core · 63% automatable
Perform routine network startup and shutdown procedures, and maintain control records.
text generation — Document routine operational activities from inputs
Maintain computer networks to enhance performance and user access. Document operational activities.
#1323 · Core · 71% automatable
Recommend changes to improve systems and network configurations, and determine hardware or software requirements related to such changes.
data analysis — Derives specs from project data; human validates requirements
Analyze project data to determine specifications or requirements. Identify information technology project resource requirements. Recommend changes to improve computer or information systems.
#1333 · Core · 50% automatable
Coordinate with vendors and with company personnel to facilitate purchases.
decision support — Procurement coordination needs vendor judgment and authority
Coordinate resource procurement activities.
#1328 · Core · 63% automatable
Gather data pertaining to customer needs, and use the information to identify, predict, interpret, and evaluate system and network requirements.
data analysis — Derives specs from project data; human validates requirements
Collect data about customer needs. Analyze project data to determine specifications or requirements. Identify information technology project resource requirements.
#1329 · Core · 70% automatable
Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement.
data analysis — Diagnoses operational problems from data; human acts
Analyze data to identify or resolve operational problems.
#1326 · Core · 55% automatable
Train people in computer system use.
interpersonal — Software training content AI-generatable, live coaching human
Train others in computer interface or software use.
#15207 · Core · 65% automatable
Research new technologies by attending seminars, reading trade articles, or taking classes, and implement or recommend the implementation of new technologies.
information retrieval — AI scans trend sources; human weighs relevance
Conduct research to gain information about products or processes. Update knowledge about emerging industry or technology trends. Recommend changes to improve computer or information systems.
#15208 · Supplemental · 55% automatable
Implement and provide technical support for voice services and equipment, such as private branch exchange, voice mail system, and telecom system.
decision support — Diagnoses need live system access and hands-on fixes
Provide technical support for computer network issues.
#1327 · Supplemental · 15% automatable
Load computer tapes and disks, and install software and printer paper or forms.
physical manipulation — Hardware installation is physical hands-on work
Install computer hardware.
Embed this calculator on your site ↓
Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.
<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="network-and-computer-systems-administrators"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script> Method
How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
See the full method →Related Article
Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market
Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.
Read Article ->