12 weeks · intensive
For whoever has a deadline
About 8 hours a week, in 1 cycle focused on the gaps that weigh most.
Career in 2026 and 2027
Salesforce Administrator
A Salesforce administrator keeps a company's Salesforce org working for its users: configuring data, security, automation and reports without code. The role sits between the business teams who need changes and the platform, deciding how to meet a request safely.
Content reviewed on October 21, 2026
- Levels
- 4
- Skills mapped at Mid-level
- 12
What each level must prove
Mid-level
Is accountable for the data model, access control and automation that business teams rely on day to day.
You turn business requests into configuration: new relationships, validation rules, screen flows and Lightning pages. You decide who sees which object and field and answer why a user cannot do something. Unlike a junior, you consider side effects on other teams before changing anything.
Average score required: 65%
Company Settings & Business Hours
Why: Lets you align fiscal year and currency settings with finance before forecasts and reports are built on the wrong calendar.
Profiles
Why: Lets you build a profile for a new team with the right tabs, record types and login limits instead of cloning System Administrator.
Fields & Data Types
Why: Lets you use formula, roll-up and dependent fields to remove manual work, such as a total on Account from its Opportunities.
Relationships: Lookup, Master-Detail & Junction
Why: Lets you choose lookup or master-detail, knowing master-detail enables roll-ups but deletes children with the parent.
Object-Level Security (CRUD Permissions)
Why: Lets you work out why a user can delete records they should not, by combining profile and permission set rights.
Field-Level Security
Why: Lets you hide a sensitive field such as discount or salary from a team while it stays visible to managers, and check it against the page layout.
Validation Rules
Why: Lets you stop bad data at save time, such as a closed-won opportunity with no amount, and keep a bypass for data loads.
Flow Builder — Screen Flows
Why: Lets you replace a long, error-prone form with a guided screen flow, such as a case intake, and place it on the right Lightning page.
Report Types
Why: Lets you create a custom report type when no standard one joins the objects a manager needs, and control which fields appear.
Report Formats: Tabular, Summary, Matrix & Joined
Why: Lets you build a matrix or joined report for a pipeline review and know when a format's limits mean choosing another one.
Lightning App Builder & Lightning Pages
Why: Lets you tailor record pages by profile or record type so each team sees only the components it uses.
Lightning Experience vs Classic & Migration
Why: Lets you run a Readiness Check and plan a Classic-to-Lightning rollout by team, with a plan for features that are not yet available.
Study for Salesforce Administrator: trails and practice exams
Each level of this career maps to a study trail. Read the full topic map for free, then measure your level.
Two ways to move up one level
40 weeks · regular
Alongside work
About 4 hours a week, in 3 cycles. Each cycle carries what was left from the previous one.
Frequently asked questions
What is Salesforce Administrator?
A Salesforce administrator keeps a company's Salesforce org working for its users: configuring data, security, automation and reports without code. The role sits between the business teams who need changes and the platform, deciding how to meet a request safely.
What must each level of Salesforce Administrator prove?
Salesforce Administrator is mapped in 4 levels: Junior, Mid-level, Senior, and Expert. Open each level above to see the skills it must prove.
How long does the Salesforce Administrator plan take?
The plan has 2 paces: 12 weeks per level at about 8 hours a week (intensive) and 40 weeks per level at about 4 hours a week (regular).
How the plan works
AI tutor
A study session on each new topic, at your level.
AI school
Hands-on lessons on using AI in your career's daily work.
Assessments
Each requirement is proven by measurement, not by a checkbox.
Stage review
At the end of each cycle you see what moved and what carries over.
Find out which level you are at
A short diagnostic measures the skills you already have. The journey starts from there.