The Salesforce ecosystem has changed a lot since I started in 2010. The platform back then was simpler, there were only a handful of certifications and a Salesforce Admin could realistically know the whole platform. Fast forward to today and we have many certifications, spanning various products and specialisms. So, has the Salesforce Admin role become too big to manage? In this guest post, Dorian Sabitov, a Certified Salesforce Developer and Consultant with hands-on experience in Salesforce administration, explores that very question.
The Admin Role Isn’t What It Used to Be
Let’s get this out of the way first: the Salesforce Admin role has changed. Not just evolved – a lot of us would say it’s ballooned. If you’ve been around the platform for more than a few years, you’ll know exactly what I mean. There was a time when a Salesforce Admin could focus on user setup, a few reports, and the occasional workflow. That world is long gone.
Today, admins are expected to build automations rivaling custom code, manage security like an infosec pro, oversee integrations that connect half the tech stack, and somehow still be the friendly face everyone runs to when their reports break. It’s no wonder the question keeps popping up in Slack communities, Reddit threads, and oh yes, burnout surveys: Is the Salesforce Admin role becoming too big to handle?
And while the growth of the role brings plenty of challenges from workload creep to skillset overload, it also opens the door to new opportunities: broader ownership, more strategic impact, and a seat at the table in shaping how companies use Salesforce.
Let’s break it down from the perspective of someone who’s actually living it.
The Evolution of the Salesforce Admin: From Configurator to Strategist
If you rewind five or ten years, the Admin was often the person in the corner of the office who “knew Salesforce.” Maybe they came from a support role or were just a tech-savvy business user who accidentally fell into the role. Back then, the platform was simpler. There were workflows, a bit of code if needed (and Devs handled that), and change requests moved at a manageable pace.
Fast forward to today, and Admins are expected to be business partners. Stakeholders aren’t just asking for reports. They want dynamic dashboards, flow-driven automations, AI integrations, and scalable data models. Admins are sitting in on strategic planning meetings, being pulled into architecture discussions, and asked to “just build a quick solution” that ends up being a mini-application.
The shift is real. Salesforce itself describes Admins as “trusted advisors … aligning Salesforce with company objectives.” But while the role’s potential is bigger than ever, most admins weren’t hired, or trained, for this full, heavy scope.
More Than Buttons and Dashboards: What Admins Are Actually Doing Now
Automation Overload: Flows, Orchestrator, and Beyond
Flow is the new king, and it’s not just one kind of Flow. Screen flows, scheduled flows, autolaunched flows, prompt-triggered flows, you name it. If you’re an Admin today, you’re expected to be a declarative developer – and in many cases, you’re also expected to bring architectural thinking and a consulting mindset to the table. But no one tells you that designing maintainable flows that don’t break when business logic changes is a skill that takes years to refine.
Add Flow Orchestrator to the mix, and you’re suddenly in workflow management territory that used to be the domain of specialized BPM tools. For Admins without a dev background, this means late-night Trailhead modules and a lot of “Why did this break?” detective work.
Security and Compliance: No Longer Someone Else’s Job
Profiles, permission sets, muting, field-level security, session settings, IP restrictions, MFA, shield encryption… if that sounds overwhelming, it’s because it is. Admins are being tasked with more security responsibilities, especially as more orgs deal with compliance requirements like SOC 2, HIPAA, or GDPR.
And let’s be honest: most orgs don’t have a dedicated Salesforce security architect. It falls on the Admin to get it right, and the consequences of getting it wrong aren’t pretty.
Salesforce’s own Security Overview outlines core security responsibilities, but in practice, Admins may also coordinate with IT, enforce MFA, and handle compliance requirements – all without formal security training. And beyond simply keeping the integrations alive, Admins are increasingly expected to secure them – ensuring proper access, monitoring data flows, staying aware of governor limits, and validating that third-party apps and connected apps follow security best practices. At this point, the role crosses into architecture and system design, whether anyone acknowledges it or not.
Integrations: The API Work No One Mentions
From Slack to MuleSoft, from Jira to external databases; Salesforce is rarely a standalone system anymore. Admins are expected to oversee or at least coordinate these connections, even if they’re not writing the code. According to Salesforce’s 2025 Connectivity Report, 95% of organizations struggle to integrate data across systems, with only 29% of their applications connected on average – despite using an average of 897 apps. This fragmented landscape puts even more pressure on Admins to make those systems “talk” to each other.
But the reality is that someone has to know what happens when a webhook fails or when a third-party app update breaks an integration. More often than not, that someone is the Admin. And beyond simply keeping the integrations alive, Admins are increasingly expected to secure them: ensuring proper access, monitoring data flows, staying aware of governor limits, and validating that third-party apps follow security best practices. At this point, the role crosses into architecture and system design.
Data Stewardship: Admins as the Last Line of Defense
Bad data? Dirty imports? Duplicate records? Yep – Admins are on the hook. With tools like Data Cloud, CRM Analytics, and Tableau Next becoming more mainstream, the expectation is that Admins “own the data.” But data governance is an entire discipline. And yet, it’s becoming part of the Admin’s job description by default.
Salesforce provides a detailed Data Cloud Admin Implementation Guide that outlines how to handle unified profiles, identity resolution, and large-scale ingestion. But beyond the technical setup, Admins also play an important role in galvanising and educating their teams because data quality is a team sport. And in small to mid-sized orgs, the Admin often becomes a “player-coach,” setting standards while also doing the hands-on cleanup.
How Businesses Are (Or Aren’t) Supporting Their Admins
Undersized Teams, Overstretched Resources
Many companies still run a solo-admin model. One person, one login, handling everything from user setup to release management. That made sense when Salesforce was simpler. Now? It’s a recipe for mistakes, burnout, or both.
Admins are being asked to support expanding functionality with little to no additional resourcing. And when things break, or projects fall behind, it’s often chalked up to “inefficiency” rather than systemic underinvestment.
More and more companies are beginning to acknowledge this gap and look for ways to reduce the pressure. Some extend their internal teams, while others bring in outside specialists to take over part of the operational workload. That’s where salesforce administration services can make a real difference, helping stabilize the platform and letting in-house Admins focus on strategic work instead of trying to juggle everything alone.
The Expectation Gap Between Stakeholders and Admins
Here’s a real-world example: a VP of Sales wants a new lead routing system built using Flows, OmniStudio, and a connected Slack alert. They expect it in two weeks. The Admin, already juggling BAU and other projects, has to either push back or pull late nights. The expectation gap between what business leaders think is “just a small change” and the actual effort involved is massive, and growing. This often creates pressure on Admins and forces trade-offs between thinking time, cost, and quality – all while managing stakeholders who may not always see the full scope of the work involved.
Certification Stack: Then vs. Now
What Used to Be Enough Isn’t Anymore
There was a time – not that long ago – when holding the Salesforce Certified Administrator credential was enough to land a solid job. Maybe you paired it with Advanced Admin or Platform App Builder if you wanted to go above and beyond. But today, that’s just your entry ticket.
Admins now face a shifting certification landscape. You’re almost expected to be multi-certified across business analysis, user experience, automation, and data. It’s not just about what you know, it’s about signaling to employers that you’re “keeping up.” So you find yourself chasing badges and stacking certs not because the job requires them, but because the job market demands them.
The Expanding Menu of Credentials
Salesforce keeps adding new specializations: Business Analyst, AI Associate, Data Cloud Consultant, and more. While this gives professionals room to grow, it also dilutes clarity around what an Admin should know. Do you need Data Cloud knowledge? Is AI now a must-have skill for Admins? What about DevOps Center or CPQ?
Admins now face a shifting certification landscape. And it’s not just the number of certifications that’s growing. The scope inside each one is expanding too. Salesforce has recently updated the Platform Administrator certification to include Agentforce concepts and increase the weighting on data and analytics. Even the “core” Admin cert now expects familiarity with areas that used to sit firmly in specialist roles. It’s a clear signal that the baseline for Admins is shifting, and the platform expects broader, more technical skill sets than ever before.
While this gives professionals room to grow, it also raises questions around focus: which skills should Admins prioritise first, and how much of this new landscape is expected for day-to-day work versus career development?
Newcomers to the Ecosystem: Entering a Moving Target
Trailhead Is Not the Real World
Trailhead is a fantastic learning tool, but it paints an idealized version of what Salesforce Admins actually do. A new Admin might finish a superbadge and feel confident, until they face their first real user story with five competing requirements, three conflicting stakeholder opinions, and an integration dependency they didn’t know existed.
There’s a disconnect between how newcomers are onboarded and what they’re walking into. The result? Disillusionment, especially for career switchers who were sold on the idea that Salesforce Admin is a quick path to tech success.
Career Switchers Facing a Steep Climb
Teachers, nurses, retail managers; many are jumping into Salesforce through reskilling programs. That’s amazing. But they’re often entering a profession that’s in flux, with unclear boundaries and rising complexity. Without mentorship, they can get overwhelmed fast. And in smaller orgs, where there’s no established team to learn from, that first Admin job can feel isolating.
We need to be more honest about the learning curve, and provide better support to help these professionals not just land the job, but thrive in it.
A Reality Check: Is the Role Actually Too Big?
Here’s the thing: maybe the Admin role isn’t “too big”. Maybe it’s too undefined, and perhaps it needs to be reimagined given the changing landscape! In orgs where roles are clear and teams are resourced, Admins can thrive. They have space to grow, room to specialize, and the ability to push back on unrealistic asks.
But in many orgs, Admins are still seen as catch-all tech support for Salesforce. That model doesn’t work anymore. The platform has matured, and the Admin role needs to mature with it. Otherwise, we’re setting professionals up to fail, or burn out.
Advice for Admins at a Crossroads
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Many of us are. Here’s what I tell newer Admins, or seasoned ones thinking about their next step:
- It’s okay to pivot. If you’re drawn to data, explore the analytics track. If you love process design, look into architect paths. There’s no shame in changing directions.
- Set boundaries. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean it should be on your plate.
- Find your people. Join communities, Slack groups, local user groups wherever you can find support and perspective.
- Track your wins. Document your impact. You’re doing more than you realize.
- Ask for help. If your org expects too much, raise it. If they won’t listen you can consider finding one that will.
How Leadership Can Help
If you’re in a leadership position reading this, here’s what your Admins need from you:
- Role clarity. Define what the Admin should and should not own.
- Support. Invest in training, peer networks, and proper tooling.
- Resourcing. Don’t expect one Admin to do the work of three.
- Respect. Treat Admins as strategic partners, not just button-pushers.
The ROI on empowered Admins is massive. But it starts with treating them like professionals, not multitool problem solvers. Admins are often undervalued and perceived as “less technical” than developers, but their true value comes from their strategic, process, and stakeholder-focused role; delivering outcomes that are only becoming more critical in today’s environment.
The Future Admin: Niche Expert or Platform Generalist?
The Admin role is splitting. Some will become platform generalists who can see the big picture and connect the dots. Others will go deep – automation experts, data stewards, security specialists.
Both paths are valid. But what’s not sustainable is expecting every Admin to be everything. The job is too complex for that. Whether we call it transformation or fragmentation, one thing’s clear: the Admin of the future won’t look like the Admin of the past.
The Opportunity in the Evolving Admin Role
The Admin role isn’t just getting bigger, it’s full of new opportunities. Admins can be generalists or specialists, doing far more than just managing user access. They can own processes end-to-end, help shape how tools like Data 360 or Agentforce are used, and bring real efficiency to the business.
With the right focus, admins can step up as strategic advisers. They’re in a unique position to guide teams, make decisions on automation, and improve workflows; all while keeping the business running smoothly. For smaller or mid-sized orgs, this often means acting as a “player-coach,” doing the hands-on work while teaching and influencing the team.
Clear role definition is key. When responsibilities are well understood, admins can prioritise what matters most, avoid burnout, and maximise their impact. This isn’t just about doing more. It’s about doing the right things and being recognised for the value they bring.
The result? A career accelerant. The evolving Admin role gives people the chance to grow, specialise, and gain recognition, while directly contributing to business outcomes. For admins, it’s not just a job; it’s a path to becoming an essential, strategic part of the company.
Conclusion: Transformation, Not Just Expansion
So, is the Salesforce Admin role becoming too big to handle? It depends.
If you define “Admin” the old way, then yes, it’s too big. The role has outgrown its original boundaries, and trying to cram all the new responsibilities into one person’s hands is a recipe for disaster.
If we accept that the role is evolving or splintering, it may not be too big. It’s just different. More strategic. More technical. More demanding, but also more impactful.
The challenge ahead is clarity. For Admins, for employers, and for the ecosystem as a whole. We need to stop treating Admins like Swiss Army knives and start treating them like specialists, because that’s what they’re becoming.
Thank you
A big thank you to Dorian Sabitov for sharing his perspectives. We hope you found them useful!
Is there a topic you’d like to contribute to SFDC Penguin? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch!
Bonus Penguin Fact 🐧
Penguins aren’t usually associated with forests, but two species: the Fiordland crested penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) and the Snares penguin (Eudyptes robustus), live in dense woodland in New Zealand. Today’s fact focuses on the Fiordland crested penguin and its remarkable December journey.
After raising their chicks, the Fiordland crested penguin undertakes a significant round-trip journey of nearly 4000 miles (approx. 6,437 km) for food. Strangely, researchers are unsure of the precise reason of this journey as there are rich food sources much closer to their home. This leads some researchers to theorise this could be driven by ancestral instinct. Learn more about this here.
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