Computer systems administrator vs senior administrator

The differences between computer systems administrators and senior 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 systems administrator and a senior administrator. Additionally, a senior administrator has an average salary of $103,102, which is higher than the $72,247 average annual salary of a computer systems administrator.

The top three skills for a computer systems administrator include computer system, linux and customer service. The most important skills for a senior administrator are customer service, SR, and troubleshoot.

Computer systems administrator vs senior administrator overview

	Computer Systems Administrator	Senior Administrator
Yearly salary	$72,247	$103,102
Hourly rate	$34.73	$49.57
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	136,907	58,887
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a computer systems administrator do?

Computer systems administrators are responsible for organizing and installing a company's computer system, including the WAN, LAN, and other data for communication. They gather information from the users to determine where to improve and troubleshoot hardware and software issues. These administrators ensure that the system they design for a company meets the needs of their users. They maintain the security of their systems and provide technical support for projects. They mainly administer a company's network, database, and security systems.

What does a senior administrator do?

A senior administrator is responsible for managing the overall administrative duties in an organization, including coordinating with higher management to identify process and operations improvement and other business opportunities to grow revenues and increase profitability. Senior administrators monitor and delegate tasks to the administrative staff, resolve discrepancies on record-keeping, respond to the customers' inquiries and concerns, ensure the adequacy of inventory, and train new staff. They also inspect and update the database regularly for business information and customer details, as well as handling complaints or directing them to the appropriate personnel and department.

Computer systems administrator vs senior administrator salary

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

	Computer Systems Administrator	Senior Administrator
Average salary	$72,247	$103,102
Salary range	Between $53,000 And $97,000	Between $73,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	The Walt Disney Company
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between computer systems administrator and senior administrator education

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

	Computer Systems Administrator	Senior Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Computer systems administrator vs senior administrator demographics

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

	Computer Systems Administrator	Senior Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3%	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 10.2% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between computer systems administrator and senior administrator duties and responsibilities

Computer systems administrator example responsibilities.

Create SNP pipeline script in Perl to automate SNP prediction.
Manage static IP address reservations in the corporate and DHCP in the production network.
Manage a mix facility of IBM and DEC mainframe computers, VAX super-mini computers and PDP-11 mini computers.
Design, install, configure and manage Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop environment.
Manage & monitor database servers and perform weekly/monthly data backup schedules and recovery strategies.
Convert manual offices to computerize environment using standalone PCs and UNIX systems.

Senior administrator example responsibilities.

Organize and manage all meeting logistics for various conferences and events across the U.S.
Lead and/or participate in adding departments to the DMS, client/server upgrades, DR testing, and end user testing.
Have configured the SharePoint environment and continuously managing both intranet and internet sites used by end users, consumers and stakeholders.
Manage calendar and arrange travel; coordinate meetings and events; create PowerPoint presentations; prepare correspondence and approve expense reports.
Provide remote user support via Citrix remote desktop and Cisco VPN.
Create, maintain and provide issue resolution of complex Linux and Unix scripts.

Computer systems administrator vs senior administrator skills

Common computer systems administrator skills

Computer System, 12%
Linux, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
Troubleshoot, 5%
DOD, 4%
User Accounts, 3%

Common senior administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
SR, 10%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Linux, 5%
Data Entry, 4%
HR, 3%

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Computer Systems Administrator vs Senior Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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