Computer network administrator vs senior system administrator

The differences between computer network administrators and senior system 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 computer network administrator and a senior system administrator. Additionally, a senior system administrator has an average salary of $98,146, which is higher than the $69,113 average annual salary of a computer network administrator.

The top three skills for a computer network administrator include customer service, computer network and PC. The most important skills for a senior system administrator are linux, windows server, and troubleshoot.

Computer network administrator vs senior system administrator overview

	Computer Network Administrator	Senior System Administrator
Yearly salary	$69,113	$98,146
Hourly rate	$33.23	$47.19
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	96,276	100,873
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Computer network administrator vs senior system administrator salary

Computer network administrators and senior system administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Computer Network Administrator	Senior System Administrator
Average salary	$69,113	$98,146
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $93,000	Between $75,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	Redwood City, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Google	Cambridge Associates
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between computer network administrator and senior system administrator education

There are a few differences between a computer network administrator and a senior system administrator in terms of educational background:

	Computer Network Administrator	Senior System Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Computer network administrator vs senior system administrator demographics

Here are the differences between computer network administrators' and senior system administrators' demographics:

	Computer Network Administrator	Senior System Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5%	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between computer network administrator and senior system administrator duties and responsibilities

Computer network administrator example responsibilities.

Establish and manage SharePoint base intranet for departmental and interdepartmental support.
Administer network and routing protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, SMTP).
Install and configure computer workstations and configure laptop computers for RAS and docking station connections on LAN.
Install, administer, and maintain networks with many servers, switches, routers, wireless access points, and firewalls.
Install and configure VPN client.
Administer electronic mail and SQL servers.

Senior system administrator example responsibilities.

Manage and optimize the design and delivery of project associate with AIX arena.
Manage all installs and setup of new servers, and server upgrades to server 2008 R2.
Implement IIS servers for both the internal and external web servers and managing security on all web servers.
Design, implement, and manage a network and domain extension in a remote location via a secure VPN link.
Manage Cisco network equipment including firewalls and switches.
Administer and manage daily backups via Symantec NetBackup.

Computer network administrator vs senior system administrator skills

Common computer network administrator skills

Customer Service, 15%
Computer Network, 7%
PC, 5%
Switches, 5%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Desk Support, 4%

Common senior system administrator skills

Linux, 7%
Windows Server, 6%
Troubleshoot, 5%
System Administration, 4%
PowerShell, 4%
SAN, 4%

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Computer Network Administrator vs Senior System Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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