I currently work as an IT support engineer and have occasional access to Microsoft Intune and Entra ID for basic administrative tasks. I find both platforms interesting, but I know the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem is large and that becoming proficient enough for a systems administrator role would require significant study.
For future job opportunities, is it worthwhile to build strong skills in Entra ID, Intune, and related Microsoft 365 administration? Are these platforms likely to remain valuable, especially if I eventually move toward infrastructure or security, or will automation and AI reduce the demand for people who specialize in them?
5 Answers
The job market suggests these skills are useful right now. Many organizations are hybrid, moving from on-premises AD and Configuration Manager toward Entra, Intune, and Microsoft 365. Candidates who understand only legacy AD and desktop management can be at a disadvantage compared with people who can work across both environments. There are also plenty of companies that have barely modernized, so practical migration and modernization knowledge is valuable.
AI is more likely to automate repetitive administration than eliminate the need for identity and endpoint specialists. Someone still needs to design policies, assess risk, troubleshoot failures, manage permissions, review consent and OAuth access, and decide whether an automated change is safe. If you’re interested in security, pay particular attention to conditional access, MFA, OAuth consent, privileged identities, device compliance, Defender integrations, and least privilege.
Think of these as important parts of a broader foundation rather than your entire career identity. Learn traditional Active Directory, networking, PowerShell, Windows administration, cloud concepts, and security fundamentals alongside Entra and Intune. The specific tools will evolve, but understanding identity, access, device management, and automation will continue to transfer to other platforms.
Intune can be frustrating because the product and documentation change frequently, and some features are still uneven compared with mature on-premises tools. That doesn’t make it a bad investment. Build a small lab or trial tenant, practice enrolling devices, creating configuration and compliance policies, deploying applications, using Autopilot, and connecting the results to Entra and Defender. Hands-on troubleshooting will teach you more than memorizing portal settings.
Yes, they’re absolutely worth learning. Entra ID is becoming foundational for Microsoft cloud identity, while Intune is especially valuable for endpoint management, device compliance, Autopilot, and modern workplace roles. You don’t need to specialize so narrowly that you can’t adapt, but having practical experience with both will make you much more competitive for systems administration and cloud-focused positions.
Definitely. Entra includes conditional access, identity governance, privileged access, and authentication controls. Intune also ties into Defender, attack-surface reduction, mobile application protection, compliance policies, and data-loss prevention.
Would this still be useful if I eventually want to focus more heavily on security?