Occupation
Systems administrator
Systems administrators keep an organisation's servers, operating systems, and core services running. The work is a mix of planned maintenance and unplanned problem solving, and it often includes the accounts, backups, and permissions everyone else depends on.
Also known as: Sysadmin · IT systems administrator · Server administrator
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Occupation content
Part of Information technology, data and cybersecurity
A visual day in the work
What the work involves
Install, patch, and configure servers and operating systems
Manage user accounts, groups, and access permissions
Run and verify backups, and test that restores actually work
Monitor system health and respond to alerts and outages
Document configurations and maintenance procedures
Entry-route stepper
How people commonly enter
A college diploma or certificate in computer systems or network administration
A degree in information technology, computer science, or information systems
Vendor certifications in operating systems, virtualisation, or cloud platforms
Progression from an IT support or help desk role
A technology apprenticeship with an employer
Typical training: Certificate or college diploma
Licensing: Certification common, not usually required
Work-context map
Typical work context
- Team based
- Desk based
- High responsibility
- Varied work
- Shift work
- Hybrid office
Team based · Desk based · High responsibility · Varied work · Shift work · Hybrid office
Related interests
- Realistic (hands-on)
- Conventional (organizing)
- Investigative (analytical)
Realistic (hands-on) · Conventional (organizing) · Investigative (analytical)
Related aptitude preparation
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Skills to practise
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Information technology, data and cybersecurity.
Official sources
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Information technology, data and cybersecurity in Canada, not a figure for Systems administrator. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
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Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Information technology, data and cybersecurity: education pathways
Some roles in Information technology, data and cybersecurity may be regulated. Confirm whether the specific role requires registration, certification, or a jurisdiction-specific licence.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Information technology, data and cybersecurity: licensing
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