Lower Risk

Technology

Network Administrator

AI is poised to impact Network Administrators by automating routine monitoring, configuration, and troubleshooting tasks. AI-powered network management tools, leveraging machine learning for anomaly detection and predictive maintenance, will reduce the need for manual intervention. LLMs will assist in documentation and report generation. However, complex problem-solving, strategic network design, and human interaction will remain crucial.

Top risks:

Monitor network performance and security65%
Configure and maintain network devices (routers, switches, firewalls)50%
Troubleshoot network problems and outages40%

Technology

Systems Administrator

AI is poised to significantly impact Systems Administrators by automating routine tasks such as monitoring system performance, generating reports, and basic troubleshooting. LLMs can assist in scripting and documentation, while specialized AI tools can handle patch management and security threat detection. However, complex problem-solving, strategic planning, and interpersonal communication will remain crucial human roles.

Top risks:

Monitoring system performance and identifying potential issues75%
Troubleshooting hardware and software problems60%
Installing and configuring new hardware and software40%

Side-by-Side Metrics

Metric	Network Administrator	Systems Administrator
Risk Score	71%	76%
Risk Level	Critical Risk	Critical Risk
Timeline	5-10 years	5-10 years
Category	Technology	Technology
Tasks at Risk	7 tasks	7 tasks
Skills at Risk	4 skills	4 skills
Safe Skills	5 skills	4 skills

Risk Comparison

Network Administrator71%

Systems Administrator76%

Network Administrator has 5 percentage points lower risk than Systems Administrator.

Tasks at Risk

Network Administrator Tasks at Risk

Monitor network performance and security65%

2-5 years

Configure and maintain network devices (routers, switches, firewalls)50%

5-10 years

Troubleshoot network problems and outages40%

5-10 years

Install and upgrade network hardware and software30%

10+ years

Develop and implement network security policies35%

5-10 years

Systems Administrator Tasks at Risk

Monitoring system performance and identifying potential issues75%

1-3 years

Troubleshooting hardware and software problems60%

5-10 years

Installing and configuring new hardware and software40%

5-10 years

Managing user accounts and access permissions80%

1-3 years

Performing system backups and disaster recovery85%

Already possible

Skills Comparison

Shared AI-Resistant Skills(valuable in both careers)

Complex problem-solvingInterpersonal communication

Network Administrator -- Safe Skills

Complex problem-solvingStrategic network designInterpersonal communicationVendor managementSecurity policy creation

Network Administrator -- Skills at Risk

Network monitoringConfiguration managementBasic troubleshootingDocumentation

Systems Administrator -- Safe Skills

Complex problem-solvingStrategic planningInterpersonal communicationSecurity incident response

Systems Administrator -- Skills at Risk

System monitoringBasic troubleshootingUser account managementBackup and recovery

Shared Vulnerable Skills(at risk in both careers)

Basic troubleshooting

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