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The differences between escalation engineers and lead systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an escalation engineer and a lead systems engineer. Additionally, a lead systems engineer has an average salary of $119,705, which is higher than the $109,368 average annual salary of an escalation engineer.
The top three skills for an escalation engineer include cloud, azure and linux. The most important skills for a lead systems engineer are systems engineering, architecture, and infrastructure.
| Escalation Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,368 | $119,705 |
| Hourly rate | $52.58 | $57.55 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 53,911 | 186,392 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The escalation engineer is the person who takes charge of a network system that experiences high levels of activities at peak times. Congested networks may result in problems and delays, in which the escalation engineer resolves issues related to increased activity on a given network. The escalation engineer collects information, analyzes data, and generates reports and recommendations to improve the system better. The smooth flow of activities in a hectic environment often rests on a few people, including the escalation engineer.
A lead systems engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the systems infrastructure and improving the stability of the operating systems to support business operations. Lead systems engineers install and upgrade software applications and ensure that the technical strategies meet the quality standards and business requirements. They also enhance the performance of the existing systems, configuring features for optimization. A lead systems engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in supporting the end-users with technical failures and identifying accurate resolutions.
Escalation engineers and lead systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Escalation Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,368 | $119,705 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $148,000 | Between $90,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an escalation engineer and a lead systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Escalation Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between escalation engineers' and lead systems engineers' demographics:
| Escalation Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 13.2% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 12.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |