Core network engineer vs systems administrator

The differences between core network engineers 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 a core network engineer and a systems administrator. Additionally, a core network engineer has an average salary of $103,964, which is higher than the $77,156 average annual salary of a systems administrator.

The top three skills for a core network engineer include IP, java and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.

Core network engineer vs systems administrator overview

	Core Network Engineer	Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$103,964	$77,156
Hourly rate	$49.98	$37.09
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	34,068	134,500
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a core network engineer do?

A Core Network Engineer designs and develops the backbone of an establishment's computer network, facilitating connections from one system to another. They conduct research and assessments to identify project requirements, install and maintain networks, establish guidelines and protocols, develop test structures to identify bugs, troubleshoot errors, and provide technical support as needed. It is also their responsibility to implement security systems and policies, all while maintaining records. A Core Engineer often works together with other engineers to strengthen the workflow and quality of networks.

What does a systems administrator do?

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.

Core network engineer vs systems administrator salary

Core network engineers and systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Core Network Engineer	Systems Administrator
Average salary	$103,964	$77,156
Salary range	Between $78,000 And $137,000	Between $59,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Flipboard	Meta
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between core network engineer and systems administrator education

There are a few differences between a core network engineer and a systems administrator in terms of educational background:

	Core Network Engineer	Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Computer Science
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Core network engineer vs systems administrator demographics

Here are the differences between core network engineers' and systems administrators' demographics:

	Core Network Engineer	Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3%	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.1% 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%

Differences between core network engineer and systems administrator duties and responsibilities

Core network engineer example responsibilities.

Design and manage printer repair and installation for the corporate Nortel campus.
Manage Cisco NAS, QNAP NAS encrypt storage device configurations, perform IOS upgrades.
Provide technical support with managing data from the Verizon LTE network to pass through WiFi access points.
Manage deployment and testing updates for wireless systems, such as WCS, WiSM, and WLC.
Manage marketing and exec team's ad-hoc inquiries via PERL, PL/SQL, SQL and Unix script processes.
Utilize advanced encryption devices to secure communications between all locations manage by the department.

Systems administrator example responsibilities.

Used Jenkins to automate most of the build relate tasks.
Manage windows file servers, messaging, and SQL databases.
Lead the project which integrate internal DNS into the corporate LDAP infrastructure for end user host management prior to deployment.
Lead business-critical information security initiatives involving encryption of customer data.
Authore and maintain shell and Perl scripts to automate administration tasks for infrastructure management.
Configure & manage all switches and servers responsible for providing WLAN connectivity and authentication services.

Core network engineer vs systems administrator skills

Common core network engineer skills

IP, 10%
Java, 9%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Linux, 5%
Network Design, 5%
Ethernet, 4%

Common systems administrator skills

Linux, 7%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Windows Server, 6%
Database, 5%
Technical Support, 4%
PowerShell, 3%

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Core Network Engineer
Core Network Engineer vs Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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