By the year 2026, it’s predicted that the Salesforce Economy will generate about 9.3 million net new jobs. With so much potential for career growth in the field, it’s an amazing opportunity for job seekers to go after. Salesforce administration is a natural career path for anyone that’s worked in data entry or another unrelated field to follow. However, there seems to be a veil of curiosity around what a salesforce administrator actually does.

Let’s break down what a salesforce administrator job looks like, what skills are needed to be successful in this role, the average salary, and the exact steps you can take to become a salesforce administrator and start an awesome new career.

What is Salesforce and why is it so popular?

Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform that offers a suite of applications and tools designed to help businesses manage and streamline various aspects of their customer interactions, sales processes, and marketing. Companies in nearly every industry and of all sizes utilize this powerful technology, hence the large number of available jobs. Almost every company that uses the Salesforce platform will employ Salesforce Administrators.

What is a Salesforce Administrator, and what do they do?

Salesforce admins are experts at configuring the Salesforce software and generating reports and dashboards that allow the company to manage and interpret data. They’re responsible for maintaining the platform as it relates to their company and ensuring it’s user-friendly.

Typical job responsibilities may include customizing the platform to make the team’s processes and workflows easier to navigate and understand, setting up Salesforce specifications, managing data, and user training.

What skills does a Salesforce Administrator need?

Some of these skills will be required before you can start working a job as a Salesforce Admin, however, a lot of them will be skills that you will continue to tune and develop as your career does.

• User management: manage profiles in Salesforce and customize the user experience to fit company needs
• Data management: Ensure data in Salesforce is processed, captured, and stored accurately
• Security: Proactively monitor the organization’s security protocols 
• Actionable data reporting: Create reports and dashboards that show performance
• Problem-solving: Use Salesforce to find creative solutions that align with company goals
• Project management: Oversee Salesforce projects to ensure they’re completed accurately, on time, and within budget
• Leadership: Bridge the gap between departments and be confident in helping your organization through Salesforce
• Communication: Constantly communicate cross-departmentally to solve problems and complete projects
• Attention to detail: Ensure complex data, processes, and projects are accurate 
• Process automation: Improve and improve business processes with the use of Salesforce
• Empathy and design: Understand customer journeys to solve problems
• Adaptability: Keep up with new tech advances and have a mindset to continuously challenge best practices and keep learning

How much does a Salesforce Administrator earn?

Each Salesforce Administrator job is different; however, here are some common positions a Salesforce Admin may have along with average, full-time earning potential-

• Junior/Entry Level Salesforce Administrator: $60,000-$80,000
• Mid-Level Salesforce Administrator: $75,000-$100,000
• Senior Salesforce Administrator: $90,000-$120,000

It’s important to remember that these numbers will vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to location and job responsibilities.

How can you start a career as a Salesforce Administrator?

Learning the necessary Salesforce Admin skills is the first step to starting this new career path. While you don’t need a degree, a certification will provide you with the necessary knowledge, allow you to gain hands-on experience, and prove to an employer that you have the relevant skills.

The Salesforce Career Administrator Certificate Program is designed to build a solid theoretical foundation and prepare you with real, hands-on projects to practice your new Salesforce skills. It’s an entirely online, flexibly paced program that teaches you everything you need to know to take the Salesforce Administrator Certification exam, which you’ll need to launch your new career.

Enrolling in a program like this is the fastest and most efficient way to jumpstart this incredible new career path.

One of the best parts of the program is the career services support you’ll receive after you complete your certification. Dedicated career guides are there to help you one-on-one to fine-tune your resume, identify potential open roles, apply, and interview well to land the perfect job. This is an invaluable resource in this highly competitive field.