Will AI replace Network and Computer Systems Administrators?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 20 official task statements scored for Network and Computer Systems Administrators (United States, SOC 15-1244), 65% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 60 out of 100 (range 54–66, band: high). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

Which tasks in “Network and Computer Systems Administrators” can AI already do?

The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Recommend changes to improve systems and network configurations, and determine hardware or software requirements related to such changes” (83/100, very high); “Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future” (83/100, very high); “Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement” (83/100, very high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.

Which tasks in “Network and Computer Systems Administrators” stay human?

About 12% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Load computer tapes and disks, and install software and printer paper or forms” (16/100, minimal); “Implement and provide technical support for voice services and equipment, such as private branch exchange, voice mail system, and telecom system” (32/100, low); “Maintain an inventory of parts for emergency repairs” (38/100, low). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.

What should someone working in “Network and Computer Systems Administrators” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 65% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 12% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Network and Computer Systems Administrators calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 20 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

US dataswitch to UK

Network and Computer Systems Administrators

maintaining and administering computer networks and related computing environments, planning, coordinating and analyzing equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

Most tasks in this job are the kind AI has learned to do: configuring, monitoring and maintaining email applications or virus protection software. The tasks, though, are not you.

Your move: three real directions from here ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 65%
changing shape: 23%
staying human: 12%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 60 out of 100 (54–66 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, across 20 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for network and computer systems administrators is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

It would be a lie to soften that; loading computer tapes and disks is what this work rebuilds around. Your move starts there.

Your week, as this page understands it

Install, configure, and maintain an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers. Perform system monitoring and verify the integrity and availability of hardware, network, and server resources and systems. Review system and application logs and verify completion of scheduled jobs, including system backups. Analyze network and server resource consumption and control user access. Install and upgrade software and maintain software licenses. May assist in network modeling, analysis, planning, and coordination between network and data communications hardware and software. The job title says “network” or “computer systems administrators”: officially one job, two names. The real job is the part underneath: loading computer tapes and disks. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But network and computer systems administrators is not one task. It is 20 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is loading computer tapes and disks, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 65%
changing shape: 23%
staying human: 12%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

13 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Performing data backups and disaster recovery operations
This is reading one thing and writing another: data backups in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 62 out of 100 (55–69 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Backups are already automated; a real recovery still needs someone able to touch the kit and make judgement calls.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Configuring, monitoring and maintaining email applications or virus protection software
This is reading one thing and writing another: email applications in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (79–87 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Email and antivirus configuration is documented, repeatable software work done entirely from a console.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Monitoring network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future
This is reading one thing and writing another: network performance in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (79–87 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reading performance trends and predicting where capacity will run short is data analysis software does well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Conferring with network users about solutions to existing system problems
This is reading one thing and writing another: network users in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Confer with network users about solutions to existing system problems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 70 out of 100 (66–74 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Talking a user through a fix is well-documented support work that automated helpdesks already handle for common problems.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 4/4.

Changing shape

4 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Maintaining and administering computer networks and related computing environments
The software now makes the first pass at computer networks, but part of it still happens in the physical world. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 41 out of 100 (34–48 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Configuration and software administration is done remotely and is heavily scripted, but the hardware side still needs someone in the building.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Diagnosing, troubleshooting and resolving hardware, software or other network and system problems and replacing defective components
The software now makes the first pass at hardware, software or other network and system problems, but part of it still happens in the physical world. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 41 out of 100 (37–45 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Diagnosing faults from logs is well suited to software, but swapping a failed part means hands on the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Designing configure and testing computer hardware, networking software and operating system software
The software now makes the first pass at configure, but part of it still happens in the physical world. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Design, configure, and test computer hardware, networking software and operating system software.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 41 out of 100 (34–48 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Designing and testing configurations is documented software work, but building and testing hardware means handling it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.

Staying human

3 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Loading computer tapes and disks
This work happens in the physical world: computer tapes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Load computer tapes and disks, and install software and printer paper or forms.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 16 out of 100 (9–23 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Installing software is remote work, but loading tapes, disks and printer paper means physically touching the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Implementing and providing technical support for voice services and equipment
This work happens in the physical world: technical support, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Implement and provide technical support for voice services and equipment, such as private branch exchange, voice mail system, and telecom system.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 32 out of 100 (25–39 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Phone system configuration is software work, but installing and fixing the actual telecom equipment needs someone on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining an inventory of parts for emergency repairs
This work happens in the physical world: an inventory of parts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Maintain an inventory of parts for emergency repairs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Stock levels are easy to track automatically, but keeping the physical spares shelf stocked is hands-on.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Show the other 10 tasks

Recommending changes to improve systems and network configurations
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: changes in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Recommend changes to improve systems and network configurations, and determine hardware or software requirements related to such changes.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (79–87 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing up recommended configuration changes and the hardware or software they need is documented technical writing.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Analyzing equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: equipment performance records in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (79–87 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Deciding from performance records whether kit needs repair or replacement is straightforward analysis of structured data.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Maintaining logs related to network functions
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: logs in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Maintain logs related to network functions, as well as maintenance and repair records.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (79–87 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Network logs and maintenance records are structured data that systems generate and maintain automatically.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Performing routine network startup and shutdown procedures
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: routine network startup in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Perform routine network startup and shutdown procedures, and maintain control records.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Startup and shutdown sequences are fixed, documented procedures that are already run by scripts.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Gathering data pertaining to customer needs
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Gather data pertaining to customer needs, and use the information to identify, predict, interpret, and evaluate system and network requirements.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Turning what users say they need into system requirements is documented analysis work, though it starts with conversations.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Coordinating with vendors and with company personnel to facilitate purchases
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: vendors in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Coordinate with vendors and with company personnel to facilitate purchases.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Comparing vendor quotes and moving a purchase through internal steps is routine coordination and paperwork.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Planning, coordinating and implementing network security measures to protect data, software and hardware
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: network security measures in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 62 out of 100 (55–69 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Security hardening follows well-published standards and is applied through configuration, though rollout involves coordinating people.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Operating master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: master consoles in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 62 out of 100 (55–69 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: System monitoring and access coordination is largely automated already, though a staffed console remains the norm.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Researching new technologies by attending seminars
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: new technologies in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Research new technologies by attending seminars, reading trade articles, or taking classes, and implement or recommend the implementation of new technologies.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 62 out of 100 (55–69 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping up with new technology means reading and summarising published material, which software does quickly and well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Training people in computer system
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at people, but the part that matters is a person saying it and standing behind it. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Train people in computer system use.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Training material is easy to produce, but getting people comfortable with a new system usually needs a person in front of them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 4/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $99,130a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 314,340in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: email applications in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: configuring, monitoring and maintaining email applications or virus protection software and performing data backups and disaster recovery operations. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where computer tapes get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

The exposed part of your job is the biggest part, and I am not going to dress that up: configuring, monitoring and maintaining email applications or virus protection software is work today's tools do quickly and cheaply, and that is not coming back.

So, given all that: 65% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 23% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 12% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 20 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

What you have that the software does not is loading computer tapes and disks, plus the years of knowing when something looks wrong before you can say why. That is the raw material for everything below.

This week: one thing

Sit on the machine's side of the desk. Pick one real piece of email applications you would normally do yourself, let whatever software you already have take the first pass at it, and then go through what it produced and write down every single thing it got wrong. One evening this week. Do not fix anything yet. Just catch it.

What you end up holding: a written list of the machine’s mistakes, in your handwriting
How long it takes: an evening, or an hour if you pick one job rather than one client

If you can’t run software on your employer’s or your clients’ data: Do the same hunt on paper. Take one printed piece of email applications, work through it the way you always do, and mark every point where you made a call rather than followed a rule. Same evening, same list, nothing to log into and nobody to ask permission from. That list is the same artifact: it is the judgment written down.

Over the next 90 days

Change one sentence about what you do. Not on a CV. Out loud, to whoever pays you. From “my job is configuring, monitoring and maintaining email applications or virus protection software” to “I check what the software does and tell you what it means.” Your error list from this week is what makes that sentence true instead of a claim, so use it: show it once, to one person, inside the next ninety days. Same skills, priced as judgment rather than as typing.

Over the next 12 months

Walk toward the end of this job that answers for things, and get it recognised. Pick the one part of loading computer tapes and disks you are already best at, and spend the year making it formal: a qualification, a named responsibility, a specialism people ask for by name. Price it honestly: that is evenings, it is months rather than weeks, and the seats are competitive because everyone in your position is looking at the same door. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to network and computer systems administrators (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was computer network support specialists: only about 22% of its durable work is work you already do, it is under the same pressure this job is and it pays 23.1% less. I am not going to pretend that is comfortable news: 65% of your own task list is already in the top exposure band. But the answer on this evidence is not a sideways jump into a job with the same problem. It is to walk toward the end of this one that answers for things. “maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments” is the part that stays with a person, and spending a year getting formally recognised for it beats a standing start somewhere else.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Computer Network Support Specialists
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already maintain logs related to network functions, as well as maintenance and repair records, and their equivalent is to perform routine maintenance or standard repairs to networking components or equipment. Across both published task lists that is about 22% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 22% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. I will not move you off one melting floe onto another: 66% of its own task list already scores in the top exposure band (66/100 in this release), so the same software is eating it. It is a pay cut, in those words: $76,220 against your $99,130, 23.1% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Computer Network Architects
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already confer with network users about solutions to existing system problems, and their equivalent is to develop and implement solutions for network problems. Across both published task lists that is about 11% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 11% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Computer and Information Research Scientists
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware, and their equivalent is to maintain network hardware and software, direct network security measures, and monitor networks to…. Across both published task lists that is about 6% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 6% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. And it is a narrow door: about 37,200 of those jobs against 314,340 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 12% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 65% of its task weight, across 20 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
“It’s too late for me to become something else”
You are not starting from zero, and the page shows why: loading computer tapes and disks is work the software cannot do and you already do it. The move above is a repricing of what you know, not a new career. Nobody who has just left college has that.
“I should learn to code”
Almost certainly not. The value in your job is moving toward checking, deciding and answering for the output, not toward writing the software. A weekend of Python will not change your position; the error list from this week will.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Database administrators and web content technicians is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Database administrators and web content technicians. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.

Your route through this

Two honest options, and no deadline on either

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

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A guided route for this

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

SharePoint & Teams Admins is built for IT admins, Microsoft 365 admins and SharePoint site owners in one-to-three-person IT teams (the people this page is about). It works on the part of your job that is growing rather than shrinking: the Microsoft 365 side of the estate: permissions, Teams sprawl, external sharing and the intranet nobody owns.

Try SharePoint & Teams Admins free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

After the trial it is a paid community, and you get identical data either way. If the overlap above is not your job, the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for systems administrators launches. Nothing else.

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No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Network and Computer Systems Administrators?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 20 official task statements scored for Network and Computer Systems Administrators (United States, SOC 15-1244), 65% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 60 out of 100 (range 54–66, band: high). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Network and Computer Systems Administrators” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Recommend changes to improve systems and network configurations, and determine hardware or software requirements related to such changes” (83/100, very high); “Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future” (83/100, very high); “Analyze equipment performance records to determine the need for repair or replacement” (83/100, very high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Network and Computer Systems Administrators” stay human?: About 12% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Load computer tapes and disks, and install software and printer paper or forms” (16/100, minimal); “Implement and provide technical support for voice services and equipment, such as private branch exchange, voice mail system, and telecom system” (32/100, low); “Maintain an inventory of parts for emergency repairs” (38/100, low). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Network and Computer Systems Administrators” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 65% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 12% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Network and Computer Systems Administrators calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 20 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-04.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.