As of November 2026,
Network and Computer Systems Administrators has an AI-exposure score of 71/100
(High exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index. This is an estimate of task
exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Score inputs for this role:
This role starts from O*NET 31.0 occupational descriptors and is empirically grounded by Penn/OpenAI GPTs are GPTs study, Anthropic Economic Index (June 26, 2026). BLS labor-market figures are separate context, not score inputs.
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
More exposed than 91% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$99,130. About 14,300 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 - growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) - your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
Will AI replace Network and Computer Systems Administrators?
No exposure score can predict whether AI will replace this role. The 71/100 score means our current model estimates high task exposure from the sources listed on this page. It does not predict an employer decision, headcount, or an individual outcome. The task map below shows the work assessed and where human judgment remains important.
Early-career context (study ages 22-25)
This role is in the High exposure band, but its assessed task mix is not automation-heavy. The study found the decline concentrated where AI was more likely to automate rather than augment work, so the headline figure should not be applied directly.
The November 2025 revision reports a 16% relative employment decline for workers ages 22-25 in the most AI-exposed U.S. occupations, after firm-level controls, relative to workers in less-exposed fields and more experienced workers in the same occupations.
Use the task map to identify durable work and the skills worth building early.
Stanford Digital Economy Lab, Canaries in the Coal Mine - November 2025 revision
This is group-level U.S. payroll evidence, not a personal forecast. The authors do not claim that AI alone caused the change, and this context does not alter the exposure score.
How this role compares to similar Computer & Mathematical roles
What this role usually involves
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.
Broad guidance for this preparation level; exact requirements vary by role and employer.
Source: O*NET 31.0 exact occupation - Network and Computer Systems Administrators, SOC 15-1244.00. Context describes the role; the AI-exposure score remains a separate task-exposure estimate.
Network and Computer Systems Administrators tasks, by AI exposure
- Perform routine network startup and shutdown procedures, and maintain control records.
- Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement.
- Maintain logs related to network functions, as well as maintenance and repair records.
- Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
- Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
No durable tasks identified for this role - its individually-assessed tasks split 80% augmentable / 20% automatable.
We analyzed all 20 Network and Computer Systems Administrators tasks - 4 automatable and 16 augmentable. The full task map - every task with exactly what to do about each - is in your Career Report.
Your report unlocks three concrete artifacts
Every task scored with what to automate, augment, or protect.
Related roles with exposure deltas, salary, demand, and reachability. Lower-exposure options appear only when the data supports them.
A keepable roadmap plus resume and LinkedIn repositioning.
Grounded in O*NET-linked or curated role data, with Penn, Anthropic Economic Index, and AIOE signals where matched. BLS labor-market context is separate - not generic advice.
Adjacent career paths
Relatedness shows how reachable a move may be. A path is labeled lower exposure only when its score is at least 6 points lower; every row shows the measured difference.
Perform routine network startup and shutdown procedures, and maintain control records.
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it; adjacent paths with honest exposure deltas, salary, demand, and reachability; a skill-gap map; a 30/60/90-day roadmap; Agent Reality Check; plus a résumé and LinkedIn rewrite and professional PDF.
Grounded in O*NET-linked or curated role data, with Penn, Anthropic Economic Index, and AIOE signals where matched. BLS labor-market context is separate.
AI was the most-cited reason for announced U.S. job cuts in 2026 through September (21% of all cuts) - the workers who adapt earliest fare best. - Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 2026The upside: AI now appears in 7.3% of U.S. job postings on Indeed, up from 1.7% in January 2019 - the skills employers ask for are shifting, and adapting early pays. - Indeed Hiring Lab AI Tracker, 2026
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Network and Computer Systems Administrators - median pay by US state (BLS OEWS, USD)
Median annual wage, in USD. US national: US$99,130. More states are being added.