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The differences between information technology administrators and information 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 information technology administrator and an information engineer. Additionally, an information engineer has an average salary of $105,003, which is higher than the $73,195 average annual salary of an information technology administrator.
The top three skills for an information technology administrator include customer service, troubleshoot and linux. The most important skills for an information engineer are customer service, linux, and troubleshoot.
| Information Technology Administrator | Information Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,195 | $105,003 |
| Hourly rate | $35.19 | $50.48 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 159,499 | 151,357 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An Information Technology (IT) administrator is an individual responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed. They are required to assess the organization's security programs and run the system for viruses and spyware. IT administrators also extend support to the organization's end-users and train them on desktop applications.
An information engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of computer systems and network infrastructure, performing configuration to boost the optimal performance of the technology systems. Information engineers assist end-users in resolving network issues, identifying the source of inconsistencies, and create resolution reports for reference to avoid reoccurrence. They also design new network systems according to business needs and client specifications, running multiple diagnostic tests to ensure effectiveness before the release of final deliverables. An information engineer should have excellent technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes.
Information technology administrators and information engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Administrator | Information Engineer | |
| Average salary | $73,195 | $105,003 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $105,000 | Between $78,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Databricks | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an information technology administrator and an information engineer in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Administrator | Information Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between information technology administrators' and information engineers' demographics:
| Information Technology Administrator | Information Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% | Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.6% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |