Data center administrator vs junior systems administrator

The differences between data center administrators and junior 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 data center administrator and a junior systems administrator. Additionally, a junior systems administrator has an average salary of $62,225, which is higher than the $49,854 average annual salary of a data center administrator.

The top three skills for a data center administrator include customer service, linux and vmware. The most important skills for a junior systems administrator are windows server, troubleshoot, and technical support.

Data center administrator vs junior systems administrator overview

	Data Center Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$49,854	$62,225
Hourly rate	$23.97	$29.92
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	172,212	154,134
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a data center administrator do?

A data center administrator is in charge of overseeing the daily operations of an organization's data center. Their job focuses on maintaining and updating data storage systems, managing hardware and software, implementing data protection and recovery plans, performing installations and repairs, and providing technical support to staff as needed. They also conduct research and analyses to establish the ideal practices and center layouts, escalating complex issues to the assigned department, maintaining records, and conducting assessments and evaluations to ensure procedures adhere to company standards and project timelines.

What does a junior systems administrator do?

A junior systems administrator is primarily responsible for handling and maintaining systems for users while under the supervision of a more experienced systems administrator. Their responsibilities often revolve around assisting senior administrators, troubleshooting support, providing installations and configurations, and handling inquiries and concerns, providing them with corrective measures. Aside from support tasks, one may also have administrative duties such as producing reports and presentations, managing schedules, and maintaining accurate data of all transactions. Furthermore, it is essential to adhere to all the policies and regulations of the company.

Data center administrator vs junior systems administrator salary

Data center administrators and junior systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Center Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Average salary	$49,854	$62,225
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $89,000	Between $51,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	NETSCOUT	Jacobs Engineering Group
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between data center administrator and junior systems administrator education

There are a few differences between a data center administrator and a junior systems administrator in terms of educational background:

	Data Center Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	University of Pennsylvania

Data center administrator vs junior systems administrator demographics

Here are the differences between data center administrators' and junior systems administrators' demographics:

	Data Center Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%	Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 13.0% 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, 12.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between data center administrator and junior systems administrator duties and responsibilities

Data center administrator example responsibilities.

Manage Cisco UCS systems that host the organization's VMware environment running critical clinical applications.
Work with USAMITC to manage DNS and with DISA tiger team to manage mail.mil email system.
Manage integrated network connectivity, reporting, and troubleshooting including switch, router, and firewall connectivity to increase system stability.
Work with SQL database developer to create the VMware view database and importing require tables.
Move content to new SQL server.
Use of EMC centera base file archival management system.

Junior systems administrator example responsibilities.

Manage Linux servers, running primarily CentOS.
Manage customer accounts and cases in Salesforce.
Load and manage customer provide encryption files.
Create, run and manage server back-ups monthly.
Develop PowerShell scripts to revamp and automate server build process.
Maintain and manage windows 2012 R2 in a virtual environment.

Data center administrator vs junior systems administrator skills

Common data center administrator skills

Customer Service, 7%
Linux, 6%
VMware, 5%
Vmware Esxi, 5%
Windows Server, 5%
HVAC, 4%

Common junior systems administrator skills

Windows Server, 7%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Technical Support, 5%
System Administration, 5%
Switches, 5%
OS, 4%

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Data Center Administrator vs Junior Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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