Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between backup administrators and systems administrator leads 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 systems administrator lead. Additionally, a systems administrator lead has an average salary of $99,956, which is higher than the $92,866 average annual salary of a backup administrator.
The top three skills for a backup administrator include linux, SAN and unix. The most important skills for a systems administrator lead are linux, project management, and windows server.
| Backup Administrator | Systems Administrator Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $92,866 | $99,956 |
| Hourly rate | $44.65 | $48.06 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 70,421 | 132,285 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A systems administrator lead is responsible for planning, designing, and implementing procedures for critical enterprise systems. Typical duties of systems administrators include managing the day-to-day operations of a company's computer and network systems, developing new application and system implementation plans, and establishing guidelines for installing and managing the organization's computer operating systems. In addition, you are expected to ensure the security of computer systems by preventing unauthorized use, user abuse, and acts of nature.
Backup administrators and systems administrator leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Backup Administrator | Systems Administrator Lead | |
| Average salary | $92,866 | $99,956 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $139,000 | Between $77,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Cedars-Sinai | Kabam |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a backup administrator and a systems administrator lead in terms of educational background:
| Backup Administrator | Systems Administrator Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between backup administrators' and systems administrator leads' demographics:
| Backup Administrator | Systems Administrator Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8% | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% |
| 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, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.7% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |