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Principal Systems Administrator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Medtronic

Senior Principal Systems Administrator: Polarion

Lafayette, CO · On-site

$89K - $121K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... administrator and service accounts, maintenance of system documentation, tuning system performance ... Roles below the Principal level require candidates to possess unrestricted U.S. work authorization ...

Prattwhitney

Principal System Administrator (ONSITE)

Sudbury, MA · On-site

$86.80 - $165.20/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Serve as a Principal Systems Administrator supporting Windows and Linux enterprise environments, responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance, patching, and troubleshooting of Windows ...

Prattwhitney

$86.80 - $165.20/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Serve as Principal Systems Administrator for Windows and Linux enterprise environments, responsible for design, implementation, maintenance, patching, and troubleshooting of Windows Server, Windows ...

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Principal Systems Administrator information

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$41K

$88.9K

$137.5K

How much do principal systems administrator jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal systems administrator in the United States is $88,927.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,000.00 and $104,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Is a principal systems administrator a high paying job?

A principal systems administrator is typically a senior IT role with a high salary compared to entry-level positions, reflecting advanced skills in network management, security, and system architecture. Salaries vary by industry and location but generally are above average for IT professionals, especially with certifications like CISSP or Cisco CCNP. The role often involves leadership responsibilities and extensive experience.

How does a principal systems administrator typically collaborate with other IT teams to ensure system reliability and security?

A Principal Systems Administrator often serves as a key liaison between multiple IT teams, such as network engineering, security, and application development. They coordinate activities like system upgrades, incident response, and vulnerability assessments, ensuring all stakeholders are informed and aligned. Regular collaboration occurs through meetings, documentation, and project management tools, allowing for efficient troubleshooting and proactive risk mitigation. This cross-functional teamwork helps maintain robust, secure, and high-performing IT infrastructure.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal systems administrator?

To thrive as a Principal Systems Administrator, you need deep expertise in systems architecture, troubleshooting, and network management, often supported by a bachelor’s degree in IT or related fields. Familiarity with enterprise operating systems (like Linux and Windows Server), virtualization platforms (such as VMware), and certifications like CompTIA Security+ or Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) are typically required. Strong leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills help you manage teams and complex projects effectively. These skills are crucial for maintaining robust, secure IT infrastructure and ensuring business continuity in demanding environments.

Do principal systems administrators make good money?

Principal systems administrators typically earn high salaries due to their advanced technical skills, leadership responsibilities, and experience managing complex IT infrastructure. Salaries can vary based on industry, location, and certifications such as CISSP or VMware, but they generally offer competitive compensation within the IT field.

What is the difference between Principal Systems Administrator vs Systems Administrator?

AspectPrincipal Systems AdministratorSystems Administrator
CredentialsTypically requires advanced certifications like CISSP, VMware, or Cisco certificationsOften requires basic certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+, or Microsoft Certified
Work EnvironmentHandles complex, enterprise-level systems, often in large organizationsManages day-to-day IT operations, often in smaller teams or companies
ResponsibilitiesDesigns, implements, and oversees large-scale systems and infrastructureMaintains and supports existing systems, troubleshooting issues

The Principal Systems Administrator typically has more advanced certifications and handles complex, enterprise-level systems, while the Systems Administrator focuses on daily system maintenance and support. Both roles are essential in IT operations but differ in scope and responsibility.

What is a principal systems administrator?

A Principal Systems Administrator is a senior-level IT professional responsible for overseeing, managing, and optimizing an organization's computer systems and network infrastructure. They lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of complex systems, ensure security and reliability, and often mentor junior administrators. Their role typically involves troubleshooting advanced technical issues, developing automation scripts, and supporting the strategic IT goals of the organization. Principal Systems Administrators also collaborate with other IT teams to plan for scalability and future technology needs.
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Principal Systems Administrator jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Systems Administrator job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 85% Full Time, 9% Part Time, 4% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $88,927 per year, or $42.8 per hour.

2026-07 Principal Systems Administrator

1st Edge, LLC

Huntsville, AL • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 2 days ago

Job description

1st Edge is a growing business seeking top performers to join in our mission of developing Artificial Intelligence solutions for our Government customers. We offer technically advanced, challenging work in an employee-centered environment driven by the desire to contribute to a meaningful purpose. Our employees work closely with Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM).

We believe in a balanced, quid pro quo relationship between the company and its employees, providing all benefits at no cost plus generous time off. This balanced culture allows employees to do their best work and contributes to our extraordinary success rate. From an excellent benefits package to job autonomy with challenging work, 1st Edge cultivates an innovative and collaborative environment with meaningful work.

Position Summary
1st Edge is seeking a hands-on Principal Systems Administrator to support a hybrid Windows/Linux infrastructure environment across engineering and software/AI development teams. This role owns day-to-day administration, troubleshooting, and secure infrastructure maintenance across both enterprise IT and lab/test environments supporting development and compute-intensive workloads.

Key Responsibilities
Administer and support Windows Server infrastructure, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Certificate Services
Manage and maintain a fleet of Linux servers (Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, RHEL) across engineering and development environments
Design, build, and support VMware vSphere virtualized infrastructure from the ground up, including GPU-accelerated compute environments
Manage networking infrastructure including switches, VPNs, firewalls, and secure communications
Troubleshoot hardware, software, and systems integration issues across lab and test environments
Work closely with engineering and software development teams to support project- and program-level integration efforts
Maintain and support hybrid on-prem/cloud connectivity (Entra ID / GCC High)
Support infrastructure for software development and AI/ML workloads, including GPU compute resources and job scheduling
Maintain secure infrastructure in accordance with CMMC compliance requirements
Support high-performance/GPU compute infrastructure (e.g., SLURM-based clusters) for ML training and development pipelines
Provide hands-on systems administration across both Windows and Linux environments, including patching, backups, monitoring, and incident response
Write and maintain scripts to automate routine administration, monitoring, and deployment tasks

Required Qualifications
Active DoD security clearance (or clearance-eligible)
 Bachelor's Degree
10+ years of systems administration experience, including at least 3 years in a mixed Windows/Linux environment
Working knowledge of Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and PKI/Certificate Services
Experience administering Linux servers in a production environment (Ubuntu, RHEL, Rocky Linux, or similar)
Demonstrated experience designing and building VMware vSphere environments from the ground up (host configuration, cluster design, storage/network integration) not just administering an existing environment
Practical knowledge of networking fundamentals: switching, VPNs, firewalls, and secure communications
Experience with enterprise-level backup, monitoring, and logging solutions
Practical scripting ability (Bash, Python, or PowerShell) sufficient to automate tasks and solve problems deep software engineering expertise not required, but candidate must be able to get things done
Strong troubleshooting skills across hardware, software, and integrated systems
Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering and software development teams
Understanding of DoD/CMMC compliance requirements in a defense contracting environment

Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting developer application platforms such as GitLab, Artifactory, MLflow, or similar tools
Experience supporting software development environments (CI/CD infrastructure, dev/test environments, artifact repositories)
Experience supporting AI/ML infrastructure GPU-accelerated compute, model training pipelines, or job scheduling (e.g., SLURM)
Experience with hybrid cloud environments (Entra ID, GCC High)
Security certifications (Security+, CISSP, or similar)
Experience in lab/test environment support

Bonus Qualifications
Experience with configuration management and automation tools such as Ansible
Experience designing or building CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, Jenkins, or similar)
Experience with infrastructure-as-code practices in a defense or regulated environment