Backup administrator vs storage administrator

The differences between backup administrators and storage administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a backup administrator and a storage administrator. Additionally, a backup administrator has an average salary of $92,866, which is higher than the $92,434 average annual salary of a storage administrator.

The top three skills for a backup administrator include linux, SAN and unix. The most important skills for a storage administrator are linux, switches, and NAS.

Backup administrator vs storage administrator overview

	Backup Administrator	Storage Administrator
Yearly salary	$92,866	$92,434
Hourly rate	$44.65	$44.44
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	70,421	71,753
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a backup administrator do?

A backup administrator usually works at a company's information technology department, where they are in charge of developing and overseeing backup systems to protect company data. They create and implement backup plans, develop recovery strategies and protocols, set objectives and guidelines, and conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the systems' efficiency. They also train new members of the workforce and supervise staff, providing them with technical support and guidance. Moreover, a backup administrator encourages team members to reach goals while implementing the company's standards and regulations.

What does a storage administrator do?

A storage administrator is typically in charge of managing and storing company data, ensuring its safety and accuracy. Their responsibilities typically revolve around devising strategies for data storage, developing and installing storage systems and back-ups, identifying errors and inconsistencies, troubleshooting, and performing regular maintenance checks to ensure the efficiency and security of storage systems. Furthermore, as a storage administrator, it is essential to produce progress reports and maintain records of all transactions, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Backup administrator vs storage administrator salary

Backup administrators and storage administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Backup Administrator	Storage Administrator
Average salary	$92,866	$92,434
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $139,000	Between $65,000 And $130,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	California
Best paying company	Cedars-Sinai	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between backup administrator and storage administrator education

There are a few differences between a backup administrator and a storage administrator in terms of educational background:

	Backup Administrator	Storage Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	-

Backup administrator vs storage administrator demographics

Here are the differences between backup administrators' and storage administrators' demographics:

	Backup Administrator	Storage Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8%	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 12.2% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 14.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between backup administrator and storage administrator duties and responsibilities

Backup administrator example responsibilities.

Monitor and manage Cisco routers and switches management.
Create several Unix bash scripts to automate the environment.
Manage all network infrastructure including firewall, routers, switches, network storage, wireless AP s and CAT5e management.
Manage the preventative maintenance of all critical infrastructure which includes HVAC, generator, security system, and fire suppression.
Manage SnapMirror relationships, troubleshooting replication job failures, SnapVault and other archive solutions.
Ensure AIX data integrity by evaluating, implementing and managing appropriate software and hardware solutions.

Storage administrator example responsibilities.

Accomplish using mediums such as: FICON, SNA, ESCON, IP, FC, & ISCSI.
Manage, and deploy LUNS from EMC storage frames to multiple servers using the UNISHERE for VNX and VMAX.
Support teams which manage CentOS.
Manage and support SRDF replications between DR data centers.
Create CIFS, setting up permissions as per customer requirements and manage DFS.
Manage users and groups on a large scale in NIS and LDAP environments.

Backup administrator vs storage administrator skills

Common backup administrator skills

Linux, 8%
SAN, 8%
Unix, 6%
Disk, 6%
Windows Server, 6%
Disaster Recovery, 5%

Common storage administrator skills

Linux, 7%
Switches, 6%
NAS, 5%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Isilon, 4%
VNX, 4%

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Backup Administrator vs Storage Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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