How much does a systems administrator make in California?

Typical pay at each employer, 2026 (everyone paid).

• Los Angeles142 people$178,414
• University of California, Davis78 people$143,099
• University of California, Berkeley52 people$157,864
• Santa Clara County35 people$185,823
• University of California, San Francisco33 people$168,528
• University of California, San Diego32 people$139,147
• San Luis Obispo County25 people$129,842
• University of California, Irvine23 people$154,765
• University of California, Office of the President23 people$166,625
• University of California, Santa Cruz10 people$146,623
• Orange County Superior Court7 people$112,624
• University of California, Santa Barbara6 people$140,741
• City of Redding6 people$109,421
• Riverside County Superior Court5 people$107,657
• Santa Clarita Community College District5 people$132,538
• University of California, Merced5 people$114,904
• Long Beach Public Transportation Company5 people$96,595
• San Diego Metropolitan Transit System4 people$96,685
• San Mateo County Transit District4 people$134,796
• Sonoma County Junior College District4 people$131,709
• San Mateo County Community College District4 people$159,063
• Sutter County3 people$19,185
• State Center Community College District3 people$121,304
• Riverside Community College District3 people$151,263
• San Diego Unified Port District3 people$138,146
• Mt. San Antonio Community College District2 people$153,888
• Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority2 people$171,177
• Olivenhain Municipal Water District2 people$90,688
• Victor Valley Transit Authority2 people$95,612
• San Jose-Evergreen Community College District2 people$146,557
• Ventura County Community College District2 people$155,983
• Mojave Water Agency1 person$138,582
• San Benito Health Care District1 person$127,555
• Bear Valley Community Healthcare District1 person$116,315
• Santa Cruz County Superior Court1 person$119,027
• Riverside Transit Agency1 person$103,695
• Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium (NoRTEC)1 person$142,302
• University of California, Riverside1 person$98,551
• Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance Programs1 person$89,862
• Mt. San Jacinto Community College District1 person$94,088
• City of Menlo Park1 person$160,369
• Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority1 person$99,191
• Plumas Hospital District1 person$93,071
• City of Aliso Viejo1 person$126,966
• City of Atascadero1 person$106,298
• Clean Power Alliance of Southern California1 person$235,786
• City of Santa Ana1 person$60,927
• Shasta Area Safety Communications Agency1 person$136,962
• Richmond1 person$176,624
• Rancho California Water District1 person$120,274
• Merced Irrigation District1 person$151,738
• City of Inglewood1 person$164,003

No employers match.

Pay by level

Levels with 5 or more people.

• Systems Administrator92 people$146,398
• Systems Administrator I40 people$148,064
• Systems Administrator 4234 people$148,775
• Systems Administrator 528 people$158,478
• Systems Administrator II81 people$171,018
• Systems Administrator III77 people$188,869

Related jobs and the next step up

Same line of work at a different rank, by typical pay (full-year employees where we can tell*).

1. Senior Systems Administrator$149,865 (everyone)
2. Systems Administrator (this page)$153,023 (everyone)

Highest-paid systems administrators, 2026

1. 1Ronald YeungSystems Administrator III · Los Angeles$272,373
2. 2Ian OngSystems Administrator III · Los Angeles$260,908
3. 3Damon KimSystems Administrator III · Los Angeles$253,710
4. 4Edguan LehSystems Administrator III · Los Angeles$233,277
5. 5Vorak LySystems Administrator III · Los Angeles$231,982

Common questions