Online Masters Degree in System Administration

There is a good deal of competition for system administration, or sysadmin, jobs. Many sysadmins are self-taught and it is a quickly-growing field, so often-times grad school curriculum can be obsolete by the time students graduate. To combat this, an online masters degree in system administration can typically upgrade its coursework when needed and teach coursework that is more foundational and less likely to change.

To be a network architect or database administrator, many employers prefer master's degrees. Several IT positions can be filled with simple associate degrees, but to progress to more complex and better paying jobs, an online masters degree in system administration could help immensely.

Pay for Various Sysadmin Jobs

Sysadmins work in various different sectors with various different income levels and different levels of education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are two of the more prominent:

• Computer Systems Engineers/Architects: $77,010, 17 percent have master's degrees
• Network Designers: $77,010, 13 percent

According to the BLS, the annual median wage for all network and computer systems administrators in May 2009 was $67,710 or $32.55 hourly. The BLS also predicts that this occupation will grow 22 percent between 2008 and 2018. The whole field of computer network, systems, and database administrators is expected to see 30 percent growth.

Online Master's Degree in System Administration

An online master's degree in system administration can lead to new career opportunities. Many potential students don't have the access to the right software or computers to self-teach, so an online masters degree in system administration can bridge that gap. Certification is important as well. For many employers, certifications are what they use for hiring. Certifications tend to be product or systems-specific and are often used to advance or simply get a foot in the door.