Dive into the fascinating world of Server Administration and uncover the costs, benefits, and career prospects of learning this vital tech skill. Discover the roles and responsibilities of a Server Administrator, including their pivotal role in cybersecurity, and explore potential salaries and job growth in this field.
Key Insights
- Server Administration involves managing computer servers, including tasks like upgrading software and hardware, organizing data, and developing protocols. They also play a crucial role in cybersecurity.
- Server Administrators earn an average salary of $70,000 per year in the United States, with job growth projected at 4% from 2019 to 2029.
- Learning server administration can lead to careers in IT, Cybersecurity, or Web Development.
- Comprehensive training in server administration can cost between $8,000 and $14,000 and last three to six months. Various training formats are available, including live online, in-person, and on-demand training.
- Noble Desktop offers a comprehensive Cybersecurity Bootcamp at $7,995, along with other individual courses on Linux, cloud computing, and Python.
- There are free introductory courses and seminars available for those interested in learning the basics of server administration, but these may not be comprehensive enough for career advancement.
Looking to learn server administration?Many tools that Server Administrators use are available for free download, and common programming languages can be learned for free. Beyond this, you’ll want to consider the cost of server administration training. Comprehensive training in server administration can cost $8,000-$14,000 and last three to six months. Read on to learn more about how much you can expect to spend on learning server administration.
What is Server Administration?
Server administration involves the management of computer servers. It includes several tasks, such as upgrading software and hardware, storing and organizing data, and developing processes and protocols. Server Administrators work with end-users to access information, recover lost passwords, and troubleshoot technical problems with both hardware and software. Server Administrators also play an important role in cybersecurity. They are responsible for updating database security, including setting up antivirus and firewall programs. They work closely with the IT team to update protocols and processes and educate end-users on security best practices.
Server Administrators play a crucial role in managing and securing company data and information. Individuals interested in a career as a Server Administrator require coding knowledge in programming languages such as Java, C++, and Python. They also need to know how to set up and create custom databases. Server Administrators make an average salary in the US of $70,000 a year, though this may swing heavily in either direction depending on your area. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth for server administrators is expected to grow by 4% from 2019 to 2029.
Read more about what server administration is and why you should learn it.
What Can You Do with Server Administration?
Server administration can be an exciting and fulfilling career. Server Administrators play a vital role in maintaining company information and troubleshooting end-user issues. In this way, Server Administrators know their services are always needed to help the company and its employees flourish. Serving in an essential role can lead to a sense of fulfillment with seeing that one’s job duties have a daily impact. Every company needs ways to manage its data and keep information secure in today's digital world. Thus, Server Administrators can impact virtually any industry of their choosing.
Server administration is an excellent role for individuals who enjoy problem-solving. Whether troubleshooting hardware, identifying needed systems patches or analyzing system logs, Server Administrators face daily challenges and get to flex their intellectual muscles. Server Administrators also experience the thrill of working with new technologies. Over the past few decades, Server Administrators have moved from physical servers to cloud servers. Cybersecurity threats also continue to grow and involve. For individuals who like learning new things, Server administration possesses opportunities for gaining new skills and talents.
Server Administrators learn various cybersecurity and database management skills and programming languages. Professionals who learn server administration skills can pursue other careers by further focusing on cybersecurity, database management, or computer science skills. Server Administrators can pursue positions in IT, Cybersecurity, or Web Development, to name a few.
In-Depth Review of the Training Cost
There are three training formats for learning server administration: live online, in-person, and on-demand training. Prices vary between each method, and each method has different advantages and disadvantages for every individual’s learning style and life situation.
In-person training can be the most expensive method of the three. While in-person training often features a professional instructor and has similar upfront costs as live online training, in-person training often possesses hidden costs in the form of commutes and classroom supplies. Live online training seeks to simulate an in-person classroom environment without the commute, saving students on extraneous costs. They also tend to be slightly cheaper than in-person training overall.
Noble Desktop offers a Cybersecurity Bootcamp that costs $7,995. This course offers comprehensive learning in server administration concepts with robust training in protecting applications and networks. Students also learn Python, Linux, and cloud computing. Noble Desktop offers the Linux and cloud computing courses separately for $995 each. The Python bootcamp is available for $1495. SQL Server Bootcamp, another popular server administration coding language, is offered for $975.
Free live online and on-demand server administration introductory courses and seminars are available through some institutions. These courses tend to be under two hours and are usually enough to learn the program’s most basic concepts but not to learn the program comprehensively. Noble Desktop offers free seminars on Python and SQL. Noble Desktop also offers free Server Administration learn hubs designed to guide students interested in learning server administration on how and where to find the best learning resources to start their education.
Individuals can find additional free on-demand training through skill-sharing websites such as Coursera, Udemy, and YouTube. The downside of free training is having no instructor or peers to turn to with questions or struggles. Advancing through these classes also requires personal motivation rather than an official class schedule. Some students may struggle to continue through the material due to the lack of accountability. Even with motivation, these courses will not be comprehensive enough for professionals looking to advance their careers.
Free Introductory Server Administration Course Online
Not ready to dive into a complete course on server administration? You can start learning server administration for free online. Free online courses teach necessary server administration skills, such as Linux for server management and security, SQL for server management, Windows server administration, database administration, IT support, and cybersecurity fundamentals. You can find these courses through skill-sharing websites such as Youtube, Coursera, or Udemy.
Free online courses are ideal for beginner learners as they embark on their journey. Free courses can be helpful since they often feature overviews of a skill or program. While these classes can be valuable and cost-effective for beginners, most provide only basics. Free courses also often feature outdated programs or industry standards. Individuals looking to learn server administration to jumpstart a new career likely need to attend professionally-led classes.
Read about more free server administration videos and online tutorials.
Learn Cybersecurity & Tech Skills with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop
Server Administrators require cloud computing, cybersecurity, and database administration skills. Individuals can learn all of these skills through Noble Desktop. Their small class sizes feature industry-expert instructors with free retake options. Courses can be taken in-person in NYC or online from anywhere.
Cloud Computing with AWS focuses on Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of the most popular cloud computing platforms. Students learn how to build and secure enterprise-level cloud environments with AWS.
Python is a coding language commonly used by Server Administrators. Noble Desktop offers Python for Network Security, where students learn how to use Python for network monitoring and security. Students must be comfortable coding with Python or have attended Noble Desktop’s Python Programming Bootcamp.
The previously mentioned courses are available through Noble Desktop’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp. In this extensive course, students learn cybersecurity threats and prevention practices and how to use Python for cybersecurity, Linux for cybersecurity, digital forensics, and cloud computing. Individuals can also view all of Noble Desktop’s cybersecurity courses should they wish to take them individually.
An additional course not included in the Cybersecurity Bootcamp that Server Administrators may be interested in is the SQL Server Bootcamp. Students learn the coding language SQL for managing databases, querying information, and extracting insights.