System Administrator Jobs in Pennsylvania
System Administrator jobs in Pennsylvania are in steady demand, with strong concentrations in healthcare IT, financial services, higher education, and state government, and openings at every level from help-desk-adjacent junior roles through senior infrastructure engineers. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg anchor most of the hiring, where established employers like Penn Medicine, PNC Financial Services, and Highmark Health maintain large IT operations requiring hands-on systems support. The most consistently sought specialties include Windows Server administration, Active Directory management, virtualization, and network infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find System Administrator JobsOverview
Open roles18
Top employerAsplundh Tree Expert
Top cityPittsburgh, PA
Cities hiring13
Work type67% On-site
Top credentialBachelor's degree in information technology
Showing 5 of 18+ System Administrator jobs
Cyber System Administrator
We won't show you this job again
Added 1d ago
Gannon University
Cyber System Administrator
Erie, Pennsylvania
Added 1d ago
Site System Administrator
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Added 1d ago
Empower AI Inc.
Site System Administrator
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Added 1d ago
MSP System Administrator
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Added 3d ago
Shadow Technologies
MSP System Administrator
Dallas, Pennsylvania
Added 3d ago
IT System Administrator
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Added 4d ago
ALLOY SURFACES
IT System Administrator
Chester, Pennsylvania
Added 4d ago
Lead Workfront System Administrator
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Added 5d ago
Avantor
Lead Workfront System Administrator
Radnor, Pennsylvania
Added 5d ago
Added 1d ago
Cyber System Administrator
Gannon University·Erie, Pennsylvania
Job functions:
Bachelor's degree
501-1,000 employees
Job Description
Posting Number
AS1124P
Subdivision
School of Engineering and Computing
Division
Col. of Engineering & Business
Department
Cybersecurity
Location
Erie, Pa
Position Summary
The Cyber System Administrator Position provides operational and technical support for computing systems, instructional spaces, and related academic activities located in the Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge (I-Hack). This position recommends any procedural changes that would enhance course delivery and academic projects, assists the academic leadership to ensure that established priorities are followed, manages High-Performance Computing Center (HPC), and supports the Center for Manufacturing and Technology (CMT). He/she has responsibility for the design, implementation, configuration, and management of physical and virtual enterprise server and storage systems and for providing primary support for the network management systems and network operating systems for the cybersecurity programs, HPC, and CMT. He/she will manage many aspects of network and system operations, prevent security incidents, plan for upgrades, and respond to issues that arise.
Required Qualifications
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Administers core systems, Active Directory, Microsoft SQL, cloud computing, patch management, etc., in conjunction with other team members.
- Administers network security infrastructure. Maintains firewall rules, NAT policies, and access control lists.
- Manages the student lab environment lifecycle each semester: deploys and configures course VM environments from approved templates, supports classroom workstation imaging and software deployment, and decommissions student resources at semester end.
- Manages external cloud services. Maintains external service subscriptions and coordinates renewals.
- Administrates backup infrastructure, defines and maintains backup schedules and retention policies per system tier, and verifies and tests restore procedures.
- Performs high-level technical support of all manner of server and computer desktop applications providing advice, training, and assistance and serving as a resource person for the cybersecurity program.
- Consults with the academic program leadership on hardware acquisitions and recommends configurations that meet program’s standards and reflect current technology.
- Implements and/or provides leadership and guidance for major projects
- Creates and maintains system documentation, operational procedures, architectural documentation, and hardware/software inventory.
- Collaborates with institutional IT personnel. Ensures alignment between systems and infrastructure managed in this position with institutional IT commitments.
- Proposes and implements enhancements that will improve the performance and reliability of all systems and services following industry best practices.
- Develops, recommends, and implements network standards and policies; monitors compliance with established standards.
- Assists in evaluating, recommending, and purchasing hardware, software, and services that improve information technology delivery to the program.
- Maintains and consistently improves their knowledge of emerging technologies.
- Manages the High-Performance Computing Cluster (HPC), including provisioning and maintaining compute resources, virtualized lab environments, and storage capacity to support coursework and faculty needs.
- Supports hardware and software needs of the cyber faculty and staff in IHack.
- Coordinate Open House activities and camps as well as support for outreach activities; these include but are not limited to Cyberpatriot, GUBotDev, etc.
- Support senior design projects.
- Performs other duties as assigned within the scope and responsibility and requirements of the job.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- The Cyber System Administrator coordinates work for students’ projects and/or departmental projects.
- Manages undergraduate and graduate student workers
Preferred Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field or greater than 5 years of equivalent experience required or relevant certifications in cybersecurity.
- Experience: 2+ years of experience administering Linux-based server infrastructure in a production environment. Experience with virtualization platforms (Proxmox, VMware, or equivalent), network administration, and enterprise storage systems preferred. Experience in an academic or research computing environment is a plus.
- Technical Skills: Experience administering production data networks, to include switches, routers, firewalls, physical and virtual systems, Proxmox VE (hypervisor cluster management), Ceph distributed storage, OPNsense or pfSense firewall administration, OpenVPN/Wireguard VPN administration, Linux container administration (LXC/Docker), Authentik or equivalent SSO/identity provider, Nginx/reverse proxy administration, Cloudflare or equivalent CDN/DNS management, infrastructure as code or automation (Ansible, shell scripting, Python), Windows domain, Active directory, and SQL. Working knowledge and experience of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, 802.11 technologies, Windows Server Operating systems, Linux Operating Systems, and Cloud computing. Experience installing and supporting client, server, and web applications in a networked physical and virtual environment. Experience with network and server management and analysis tools (hardware and software). Ability to understand the principles of new technologies and products.
- General Skills: Ability to work independently with minimal supervision; excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills; ability to communicate clearly with individual computing users on all levels in small groups, one on one, and in writing; proven experience as a problem solver; proven experience in co-operative teamwork; skill in organizing materials; must be able to oversee an inventory and keep records; project management experience helpful; experience in an academic environment preferred.
- Licenses and Certifications: CompTIA Security+, Linux+/LPIC, Microsoft, Networking, and/or cybersecurity certification preferred
- Interpersonal Skills: General skills include the ability to communicate effectively and professionally, familiarity with organizational issues, and technical expertise. Required to adapt to new computing environments and situations and be alert to new problem areas and will propose possible solutions. Must be adept at pursuing problems until solved through defined channels.
Physical Demands
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to lift up to 20 pounds. Ability to reach with hands and arms; bend, kneel, crouch and climb ladders.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Work is performed in a busy office and University setting.
Exempt Status
Exempt
Position Classification
Professional Technician
Position Type
Staff
Employment Status
Full-Time
Position Length
12M
Hours per Week
37.5
Work Schedule
M-F
Shift
1st
Gannon University
Cyber System Administrator
Erie, Pennsylvania
Added 1d ago501-1,000 employees
Job functions:
Bachelor's degree
Job Description
Posting Number
AS1124P
Subdivision
School of Engineering and Computing
Division
Col. of Engineering & Business
Department
Cybersecurity
Location
Erie, Pa
Position Summary
The Cyber System Administrator Position provides operational and technical support for computing systems, instructional spaces, and related academic activities located in the Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge (I-Hack). This position recommends any procedural changes that would enhance course delivery and academic projects, assists the academic leadership to ensure that established priorities are followed, manages High-Performance Computing Center (HPC), and supports the Center for Manufacturing and Technology (CMT). He/she has responsibility for the design, implementation, configuration, and management of physical and virtual enterprise server and storage systems and for providing primary support for the network management systems and network operating systems for the cybersecurity programs, HPC, and CMT. He/she will manage many aspects of network and system operations, prevent security incidents, plan for upgrades, and respond to issues that arise.
Required Qualifications
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Administers core systems, Active Directory, Microsoft SQL, cloud computing, patch management, etc., in conjunction with other team members.
- Administers network security infrastructure. Maintains firewall rules, NAT policies, and access control lists.
- Manages the student lab environment lifecycle each semester: deploys and configures course VM environments from approved templates, supports classroom workstation imaging and software deployment, and decommissions student resources at semester end.
- Manages external cloud services. Maintains external service subscriptions and coordinates renewals.
- Administrates backup infrastructure, defines and maintains backup schedules and retention policies per system tier, and verifies and tests restore procedures.
- Performs high-level technical support of all manner of server and computer desktop applications providing advice, training, and assistance and serving as a resource person for the cybersecurity program.
- Consults with the academic program leadership on hardware acquisitions and recommends configurations that meet program’s standards and reflect current technology.
- Implements and/or provides leadership and guidance for major projects
- Creates and maintains system documentation, operational procedures, architectural documentation, and hardware/software inventory.
- Collaborates with institutional IT personnel. Ensures alignment between systems and infrastructure managed in this position with institutional IT commitments.
- Proposes and implements enhancements that will improve the performance and reliability of all systems and services following industry best practices.
- Develops, recommends, and implements network standards and policies; monitors compliance with established standards.
- Assists in evaluating, recommending, and purchasing hardware, software, and services that improve information technology delivery to the program.
- Maintains and consistently improves their knowledge of emerging technologies.
- Manages the High-Performance Computing Cluster (HPC), including provisioning and maintaining compute resources, virtualized lab environments, and storage capacity to support coursework and faculty needs.
- Supports hardware and software needs of the cyber faculty and staff in IHack.
- Coordinate Open House activities and camps as well as support for outreach activities; these include but are not limited to Cyberpatriot, GUBotDev, etc.
- Support senior design projects.
- Performs other duties as assigned within the scope and responsibility and requirements of the job.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- The Cyber System Administrator coordinates work for students’ projects and/or departmental projects.
- Manages undergraduate and graduate student workers
Preferred Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field or greater than 5 years of equivalent experience required or relevant certifications in cybersecurity.
- Experience: 2+ years of experience administering Linux-based server infrastructure in a production environment. Experience with virtualization platforms (Proxmox, VMware, or equivalent), network administration, and enterprise storage systems preferred. Experience in an academic or research computing environment is a plus.
- Technical Skills: Experience administering production data networks, to include switches, routers, firewalls, physical and virtual systems, Proxmox VE (hypervisor cluster management), Ceph distributed storage, OPNsense or pfSense firewall administration, OpenVPN/Wireguard VPN administration, Linux container administration (LXC/Docker), Authentik or equivalent SSO/identity provider, Nginx/reverse proxy administration, Cloudflare or equivalent CDN/DNS management, infrastructure as code or automation (Ansible, shell scripting, Python), Windows domain, Active directory, and SQL. Working knowledge and experience of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, 802.11 technologies, Windows Server Operating systems, Linux Operating Systems, and Cloud computing. Experience installing and supporting client, server, and web applications in a networked physical and virtual environment. Experience with network and server management and analysis tools (hardware and software). Ability to understand the principles of new technologies and products.
- General Skills: Ability to work independently with minimal supervision; excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills; ability to communicate clearly with individual computing users on all levels in small groups, one on one, and in writing; proven experience as a problem solver; proven experience in co-operative teamwork; skill in organizing materials; must be able to oversee an inventory and keep records; project management experience helpful; experience in an academic environment preferred.
- Licenses and Certifications: CompTIA Security+, Linux+/LPIC, Microsoft, Networking, and/or cybersecurity certification preferred
- Interpersonal Skills: General skills include the ability to communicate effectively and professionally, familiarity with organizational issues, and technical expertise. Required to adapt to new computing environments and situations and be alert to new problem areas and will propose possible solutions. Must be adept at pursuing problems until solved through defined channels.
Physical Demands
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to lift up to 20 pounds. Ability to reach with hands and arms; bend, kneel, crouch and climb ladders.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Work is performed in a busy office and University setting.
Exempt Status
Exempt
Position Classification
Professional Technician
Position Type
Staff
Employment Status
Full-Time
Position Length
12M
Hours per Week
37.5
Work Schedule
M-F
Shift
1st
See All 18 System Administrator Jobs in Pennsylvania
Find roles in Pennsylvania that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find System Administrator JobsSystem Administrator Jobs by City in Pennsylvania
Where Pennsylvania roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Pittsburgh
3 jobsPhiladelphia
3 jobsHorsham
2 jobsErie
1 jobDallas
1 jobRadnor
1 jobChester
1 jobReading
1 jobPerkasie
1 jobLancaster
1 jobWest Mifflin
1 jobKing of Prussia
1 jobUpper St. Clair
1 jobSystem Administrator Job Market in Pennsylvania
A snapshot from current Pennsylvania openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Pennsylvania Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in system administrator jobs across Pennsylvania.
- Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, or a related field
- CompTIA A+, Network+, or Microsoft certifications strongly preferred by Pennsylvania employers
- Hands-on experience administering Windows Server environments and Active Directory
- Proficiency with virtualization platforms such as VMware or Hyper-V
- Familiarity with network infrastructure including firewalls, VPNs, and TCP/IP protocols
- Experience supporting enterprise environments in healthcare, finance, or government settings
System Administrator Jobs in Pennsylvania: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a system administrator in Pennsylvania?
System administration in Pennsylvania requires no state-issued license, so entry is driven by education and credentials. Most employers expect at least an associate or bachelor's degree in information technology or computer science. Earning vendor-recognized certifications such as CompTIA Server+, Microsoft Certified: Windows Server, or VMware certifications substantially strengthens a candidacy. Pennsylvania's large healthcare and government sectors often add background check and clearance requirements before an offer is finalized.
How much do system administrators make in Pennsylvania?
System administrators in Pennsylvania earn a median of about $86,140 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $61,380 for the lowest 10% to over $130,160 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire system administrators in Pennsylvania?
Employers hiring system administrators in Pennsylvania right now include Asplundh Tree Expert, Avantor, and Eurofins, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Pennsylvania's concentration of large health systems, regional banks, and state agencies means these employers often maintain ongoing pipelines rather than one-off postings.
Which Pennsylvania cities have the most system administrator jobs?
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Horsham lead Pennsylvania in system administrator openings. Philadelphia dominates volume because of its dense cluster of academic medical centers, financial institutions, and corporate headquarters, while Pittsburgh's technology and healthcare industries sustain consistent demand, and Harrisburg's state government agencies and insurance sector drive openings in the capital region.
Are there remote system administrator jobs in Pennsylvania?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely desk-based IT roles because system administrators frequently need physical access to servers, hardware, and on-site infrastructure. About 33% of system administrator openings tied to Pennsylvania are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting a market that leans on-site. The tasks most commonly performed remotely include monitoring, scripting, and software configuration rather than hands-on hardware support.
How can I get hired as a system administrator in Pennsylvania with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a help desk or IT support technician role, which large Pennsylvania employers like Penn Medicine, UPMC, and state agencies regularly post as stepping stones. Earning CompTIA A+ before applying gives an immediate credibility boost. Community colleges across Pennsylvania, including HACC and Community College of Philadelphia, offer IT certificate programs that align with what those employers look for. Moving into system administration typically follows one to two years of documented support experience.
Where can I find and apply to system administrator jobs in Pennsylvania?
You can find and apply to system administrator jobs in Pennsylvania on Migrate Mate, which lists current Pennsylvania openings across industries and experience levels. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 18 System Administrator Jobs in Pennsylvania
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