Administrator

An administrator is a person responsible for managing and supervising the operations, resources, or policies of an organization or system. The term is used across fields from government and business to information technology, and it also refers to software or system accounts with elevated privileges designed to perform maintenance and configuration tasks.

In organizational contexts, administrators plan and coordinate activities, enforce rules, administer budgets, and ensure compliance with laws and policies. They may oversee staff, facilities, or digital services, and they coordinate with other managers and departments to meet objectives.

In information technology, administrators are specialized roles such as system administrators, network administrators, database administrators, and security administrators. They manage user accounts and access, install and update software, perform backups and recovery, monitor performance, and respond to incidents. In many systems, the administrator has elevated privileges (for example, the root account in Unix-like systems or the Administrator account in Windows).

Responsibilities include configuring hardware and software, implementing access control, maintaining logs, performing routine maintenance, and planning for capacity and disaster recovery. Administrators work to ensure availability, reliability, and security of services and data.

Qualifications vary by field but typically include education in information technology, computer science, or business, plus relevant experience. Certifications such as CompTIA A+ or Network+, Microsoft or Cisco credentials, and vendor-specific programs are commonly valued. Strong problem-solving, communication, and governance skills are important.

The term derives from Latin administrare, meaning to manage or supervise, reflecting its long-standing role in governance and operations.