Prerequisites: What is Needed to Get Into IT Administration The role of an IT administrator varies depending on what area of IT you want to focus on. First, you might want to get into networking, which means you should know how cabling, routers, switches and communication protocols work. If you want to get into desktop support, you should know how client operating systems work and how to fix and work with tablets, desktops, and even servers. Server administration is harder to break into until you understand server software. You can usually learn either Linux or Windows environments by working desktop support and getting your feet wet with server administration. What Does an IT Administrator Do? IT administrators oversee all functionality that handles the enterprise network. The size of the network depends on the enterprise you work for. You can start off doing basic IT desktop support for a small company and then work for a larger company in the IT support field. When you work with larger companies, you usually have a team that manages the network and employee computers. You’ll also work with peripheral devices and helping users install printers, scanners, and other attached network components. One way to get started with IT administration is to take the A+ and N+ certifications. These certifications help you show potential employers that you have the knowledge to manage IT systems. For more information on how you can earn your A+ and N+ certifications, fill out the form below for a course syllabus and pricing information on our bootcamp, live online and self paced training options. How Much Money Does an IT Administrator Make? Take a look at the following graph to get a good idea of how much IT administrators make.