The average salary for a systems administrator in California is around $106,440 per year.
Avg Salary
Systems administrators earn an average yearly salary of $106,440.
Wages typically start from $72,400 and go up to $166,730.
41% above national average Updated in 2025
Systems administrator earnings by seniority
Top-level systems administrator earnings begin at:
$80.16 per hour
$166,730 per year
Senior-level systems administrator earnings begin at:
$64.52 per hour
$134,190 per year
Mid-level systems administrator earnings begin at:
$51.18 per hour
$106,440 per year
Junior-level systems administrator earnings begin at:
$42.64 per hour
$88,680 per year
Starting level systems administrator earnings begin at:
$34.81 per hour
$72,400 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Systems administrator salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Ohio | $97,570 |
| Alaska | $97,500 |
| Georgia | $97,170 |
| Utah | $95,820 |
| North Carolina | $95,230 |
| Florida | $95,200 |
| Delaware | $94,200 |
| Michigan | $92,750 |
| South Carolina | $92,520 |
| Idaho | $91,880 |
| New Mexico | $90,790 |
| Arizona | $90,280 |
| Louisiana | $90,160 |
| Tennessee | $88,100 |
| Kentucky | $87,020 |
| North Dakota | $86,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,140 |
| Vermont | $86,020 |
| Nebraska | $84,700 |
| Indiana | $84,550 |
| Iowa | $84,500 |
| Oklahoma | $83,990 |
| Maine | $83,890 |
| Wisconsin | $83,650 |
| Kansas | $83,340 |
| Arkansas | $81,590 |
| Alabama | $81,400 |
| Montana | $80,950 |
| Missouri | $80,870 |
| Mississippi | $79,990 |
| Wyoming | $75,220 |
| South Dakota | $75,010 |
| West Virginia | $74,490 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $61,490 |
| Guam | $50,890 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,080 |
| Maryland | $118,290 |
| New Jersey | $116,420 |
| Massachusetts | $110,980 |
| District of Columbia | $110,970 |
| Virginia | $109,610 |
| California | $106,440 |
| Connecticut | $105,880 |
| New York | $105,810 |
| Washington | $103,910 |
| Nevada | $103,440 |
| Colorado | $103,370 |
| Rhode Island | $103,100 |
| Oregon | $102,000 |
| Minnesota | $101,870 |
| Hawaii | $101,450 |
| Texas | $101,240 |
| New Hampshire | $100,230 |
| Illinois | $100,080 |
How do systems administrator salaries compare to similar careers?
Systems administrators earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than web developers but more than operations research analysts.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Web developer salary | $120K |
| Intelligence analyst salary | $125K |
| Database administrator salary | $113K |
| Computer programmer salary | $117K |
| Technical writer salary | $104K |
| Systems administrator salary | $106K |
| Geographer salary | $114K |
| Consultant salary | $107K |
| Distance learning coordinator salary | $100K |
| Operations research analyst salary | $102K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)