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One of the top suppliers of cloud-based solutions that enable businesses and boost productivity is ServiceNow. At the centre of this ecosystem is a ServiceNow Administrator, who is in charge of platform maintenance and optimization. The administrator assumes administration of an organization by having a thorough understanding of the platform’s foundations, including its many apps and functions. Dealing with daily issues, resolving them, or transferring them to the development team are all part of the job description.
Whether you are beginning your journey in ServiceNow or just curious, this profile is an excellent emerging career option. So, in this blog, we will dive deep into what a ServiceNow Administrator does, the skills required, certification pathways, career prospects, and more.
Let’s begin with a brief insight into this role.
What Does a ServiceNow Administrator Do?
As the name suggests, a ServiceNow Administrator configures, manages, and maintains an organization’s ServiceNow platform. This means you will be responsible for ensuring the performance of the platform on a regular basis. This includes optimizing the platform for functionality, fixing any issues that arise, and successfully implementing modifications. Ensuring this seamless functioning of ServiceNow solutions within an organization is essential to increase the scalability of that organization. Thus, administrators are a crucial part of any ServiceNow implementation.
The day-to-day responsibilities of an admin are described below for a deeper understanding of this profile.

Roles & Responsibilities of a ServiceNow Administrator
The ServiceNow System Administrator has an encompassing role that involves various tasks to keep the platform functioning optimally. Here are some of the primary day-to-day responsibilities:

1. System Configuration and Customization
The administrator is tasked with configuring and routinely tweaking the ServiceNow platform when it is implemented in an organization. It involves setting up essential ServiceNow modules like problem, change, and incident management, among others. In order to meet the demands of the business, you will also develop personalized forms, workflows, and scripts as an administrator.
2. User Management
Setting up and managing user roles and permissions are also a part of the admin’s job. It consists of providing access controls to users and maintaining platform security. Monitoring the activity of the user to identify and resolve any issue when required also comes under the responsibility of the admin.
3. Platform Maintenance
Platform maintenance is the primary task of a ServiceNow System Administrator. Scheduling and executing routine maintenance, including updating the system, patches, and upgrades, is their responsibility. Further, monitoring the system to ensure performance and resolving any technical glitches is the core motive of platform maintenance.
4. Troubleshooting and Support
The IT operations of a company can have frequent issues and glitches. The ServiceNow platform allows the employees to report these issues through the self-service tools. The System Administrator regularly solves these issues or collaborates with other teams to address integration challenges.
5. Data Management
Data management is another crucial responsibility of an admin. It is essential to maintain data integrity while ensuring the data is accurate before any reporting. To make this happen, an admin configures the import and export [process of data and maintains systems logs regularly.
6. Documentation and Training
Besides taking care of daily tasks and job responsibilities, as a ServiceNow Administrator, you will be required to train users and stakeholders. For this, proper documentation of past and ongoing platform changes, configurations, and processes is required. This documentation is the responsibility of the admin.
Those are the responsibilities carried out in the System Administrator role. Now, let’s look at what skills are required to ace these responsibilities in your job.
ServiceNow Administration Skills
The ServiceNow Administration skills that you must know as an admin include a mix of technical and soft skills. Here are the major skills that you should gain to be successful:

Technical Skills
- ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals: A solid understanding of core ServiceNow modules, workflows, and scripting is a must.
- Scripting Knowledge: Although not necessary, proficiency in JavaScript to customize workflows and automate processes is sometimes required.
- IT Service Management (ITSM): Familiarity with ITIL frameworks and ServiceNow’s ITSM tools.
- Database Management: Understanding relational databases like MySQL to manage platform data.
- API Integration: Experience with APIs for integrating ServiceNow with third-party systems.
Soft Skills
A plethora of soft skills are helpful in any profile that you aim for in ServiceNow. The ServiceNow Administration skills that employers look for in a candidate are problem-solving, communication, time management, and collaboration. If you have acquired the following, then you are sure to ace any job interview. These skills will help you throughout your career as an admin in ServiceNow.
Let’s explore how you can learn these skills and make a career in ServiceNow.
How to Become a ServiceNow Administrator?
If you aspire to build a career as a ServiceNow Administrator, the following steps can guide you:

1. Learn the Fundamentals
The first and foremost step is to learn the fundamentals of ServiceNow. Get started by researching everything about the platform, reading about it, and understanding it. Then, you can get to the administrator profile through modules like incident management, knowledge management, etc.
2. Take the ServiceNow System Administrator Training
Enroll yourself in a ServiceNow Administrator training to gain hands-on experience through interactive learning. S2 Labs is a premier institution to get trained in ServiceNow from industry experts. The course covers platform basics, user and role management, workflow, and scripting and provides deep insight into ITSM.
3. Earn the ServiceNow Certified System Administrator Certification
Once you have completed training and you know everything about the admin profile, it is time to get certified. Achieving the ServiceNow Certified System Administrator credential is a key milestone. While not necessary to get a job, a certification validates your ability to manage the platform. The ServiceNow System Administrator Certification is priced at $300 per attempt. To prepare for the certification exam, you can take the help of ServiceNow training by S2 Labs, practice exams, and community resources.
4. Gain Practical Experience
After getting your certification, you can now start with an internship, project, or full-time job to get hands-on experience with the platform. Work on demo environments like the ServiceNow Personal Developer Instance (PDI) to practice. Take on entry-level roles to build your portfolio with time.
ServiceNow Administrator Salary and Career Prospects
The System Administrator career is a highly profitable option for beginners and professionals alike. Due to the rising demand for ServiceNow experts, the salary and job growth trends are also attractive.
Salary Insights

- India: The entry-level salaries for ServiceNow Admin range from ₹4–8 lakhs per annum, while experienced professionals can earn up to ₹10–15 lakhs annually.
- United States: Salaries In USA for administrators range from $56,000 to $64,000 for beginners, while experienced professionals can earn $87,000 – $1,00,000 per annum.
Source: Glassdoor
Career Growth
A career in ServiceNow administration opens doors to various roles, such as:
- Advanced Administrator: Specializing in niche areas like HRSD or ITOM.
- ServiceNow Developer: Building custom applications and advanced integrations.
- ServiceNow Consultant: Analyze and advise organizations on implementing and optimizing the platform.
Benefits of Becoming a ServiceNow Administrator
Pursuing a career as a ServiceNow Administrator comes with a number of benefits, here are some of them for your understanding:
- ServiceNow is being adopted widely across the globe by businesses of all sizes. This poses a great career opportunity and demand for skilled admins.
- The salary packages that are being offered reflect the value and need of these professionals.
- The skills gained in ServiceNow administration are transferable, enabling you to explore roles in IT, HR, and customer service.
- Earning the Certified System Administrator ServiceNow credential enhances your professional credibility and visibility.
- ServiceNow is used worldwide, offering roles across various geographies and industries.

Conclusion
An intriguing career in enterprise IT can be accessed through the ServiceNow Administrator position. Administrators make sure companies take advantage of the platform’s full capabilities with duties that range from system configuration to user support. You can establish a fulfilling career in this in-demand industry by obtaining the ServiceNow Administrator certification, developing fundamental ServiceNow administration abilities, and keeping up with platform developments. There are several opportunities to become a certified ServiceNow professional, regardless of your level of experience or desire to progress in your career.
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