Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between infrastructure engineers and senior 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 infrastructure engineer and a senior systems engineer. Additionally, a senior systems engineer has an average salary of $108,121, which is higher than the $106,438 average annual salary of an infrastructure engineer.
The top three skills for an infrastructure engineer include python, cloud and linux. The most important skills for a senior systems engineer are architecture, linux, and java.
| Infrastructure Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,438 | $108,121 |
| Hourly rate | $51.17 | $51.98 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 91,845 | 166,742 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
As an infrastructure engineer, they're responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining the IT infrastructure using the newest technology and ensure all the systems within an organization function seamlessly. They ensure all the IT systems are updated to support the business to function effectively. It is also their job to maintain internet connections, cabling, virtualization platforms, and storage area networks. Moreover, they oversee the IT infrastructure engineer system administration middleware application servers, like Oracle Weblogic server, IBM WebSphere server, and automated workflow tools.
A senior systems engineer specializes in overseeing network systems, management tools, software, and hardware within a company or an organization. Their primary responsibility is to install, maintain, and resolve complex system issues using their years of extensive knowledge and expertise. They can also provide insights, troubleshooting, and technical support should it be needed. Furthermore, as a senior systems engineer, it is also their responsibility to lead, supervise, and coordinate with a team of skilled system engineers while in adherence to company policies and regulations.
Infrastructure engineers and senior systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Infrastructure Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,438 | $108,121 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $148,000 | Between $82,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Credit Karma | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between an infrastructure engineer and a senior systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Infrastructure Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between infrastructure engineers' and senior systems engineers' demographics:
| Infrastructure Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 13.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |