Resume Example
Systems Administrator Resume Example
Highlight server reliability, patching, and automation. This sample focuses on stability and uptime.
Classic Professional
Traditional single-column ATS-optimized layout. Best for conservative industries.
Keywords
Sample bullets
- Achieved 98% patch compliance across 400 servers.
- Automated server provisioning to cut setup time by 50%.
- Improved backup success rate to 99% with automated alerts.
Soft skills
- Operational reliability
- Incident response
- Prioritization
- Communication
Certifications
- RHCSA
- Azure Administrator (AZ-104)
- VMware VCP
- CompTIA Server+
Why this works
- Shows operational stability and reduced downtime.
- Highlights automation and patch compliance.
- Demonstrates disaster recovery readiness.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to Write a Systems Administrator Resume
Lead with infrastructure scope and reliability
Sysadmins keep systems running. Lead with environment size (servers, users, uptime), and key metrics. 'Systems Administrator managing 500 servers across on-premise and cloud with 99.99% uptime serving 5,000 users.'
Show platform expertise
Include operating systems (Windows Server, Linux distributions), virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V), and cloud platforms. Indicate primary vs. secondary skills.
Highlight automation and efficiency
Modern sysadmins automate. Include scripting languages (PowerShell, Bash, Python), configuration management (Ansible, Puppet), and automation achievements. 'Automated provisioning reducing server deployment from 2 days to 2 hours.'
Include security and compliance
System security is essential. Include patch management, hardening, backup/disaster recovery, and compliance experience (HIPAA, PCI, SOC 2).
Demonstrate monitoring and incident response
Include monitoring tools, on-call experience, and incident response. MTTR improvements and RCA experience show operational maturity.
Summary Examples
Good vs. Bad Resume Summaries
“Senior Systems Administrator managing 400-server hybrid environment (VMware, AWS) with 99.99% uptime. Automated 80% of routine tasks with Ansible. Reduced patch deployment time from 2 weeks to 2 days.”
Environment scale, hybrid expertise, automation achievement, and efficiency improvement.
“Systems administrator with Windows and Linux experience. Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.”
No environment size, no uptime, no automation or efficiency metrics.
“Linux Systems Engineer supporting SaaS platform for 100K users. Built CI/CD infrastructure and container orchestration with Kubernetes. Reduced incident response time 60% through improved monitoring and runbooks.”
Linux specialty, user scale, modern infrastructure, and operational improvement.
“IT professional seeking sysadmin role. Experience with server administration and user support.”
No specific environment, no metrics. 'User support' suggests helpdesk, not sysadmin.
Action Verbs
Power Words for Systems Administrator Resumes
Common Mistakes
What to Avoid
- ✗Not specifying environment size and complexity
- ✗Missing uptime and reliability metrics
- ✗Omitting automation and scripting skills
- ✗Being vague about platform expertise (Windows vs. Linux)
- ✗Not showing security and compliance experience
- ✗Missing monitoring and incident response capabilities
Salary ranges
| Level | US | EU | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | USD 55,000-73,500 | EUR 35,000-48,000 | CAD 52,000-68,000 |
| Mid | USD 73,500-96,800 | EUR 48,000-68,000 | CAD 68,000-90,000 |
| Senior | USD 96,800-150,000 | EUR 68,000-95,000 | CAD 90,000-125,000 |
US hot markets
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- New York
- Washington DC
EU hot markets
- London
- Zurich
- Amsterdam
- Munich
Canada hot markets
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Ottawa
FAQ
Common questions about this role
What should sysadmins emphasize?
Reliability, patching discipline, and automation wins.
Which metrics stand out?
Uptime, patch compliance, and backup success rates.
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