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The differences between application systems administrators and systems administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an application systems administrator and a systems administrator. Additionally, an application systems administrator has an average salary of $85,636, which is higher than the $77,156 average annual salary of a systems administrator.
The top three skills for an application systems administrator include troubleshoot, linux and problem resolution. The most important skills for a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.
| Application Systems Administrator | Systems Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $85,636 | $77,156 |
| Hourly rate | $41.17 | $37.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 141,894 | 134,500 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An application systems administrator manages and maintains any system, network, or application in a company. It is the primary job of a systems administrator to inspect all systems, software, and applications, determine problem areas and apply troubleshooting measures, upgrades and repairs. It is also the task of a systems administrator to regularly update programs, pinpoint bugs and problematic codes, and relay them to a programmer to have them resolved. The systems administrator is part of a company's back-end staff and focuses on the operation and maintenance of all software-based processes.
Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures. They are responsible for installing, configuring, or updating network systems, software, and hardware. They also monitor the different systems and troubleshoot any issues that users may encounter. Systems administrators manage the access of users, ensure the security of the network, and address any challenges that users may have. They conduct repairs and routine maintenance to ensure that the systems in place are in the best shape.
Application systems administrators and systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Systems Administrator | Systems Administrator | |
| Average salary | $85,636 | $77,156 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $112,000 | Between $59,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | American Tower | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an application systems administrator and a systems administrator in terms of educational background:
| Application Systems Administrator | Systems Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between application systems administrators' and systems administrators' demographics:
| Application Systems Administrator | Systems Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |