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The differences between junior systems administrators and 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 a junior systems administrator and a systems engineer. Additionally, a systems engineer has an average salary of $82,834, which is higher than the $62,225 average annual salary of a junior systems administrator.
The top three skills for a junior systems administrator include windows server, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a systems engineer are python, linux, and C++.
| Junior Systems Administrator | Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $62,225 | $82,834 |
| Hourly rate | $29.92 | $39.82 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 154,134 | 145,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Junior systems administrators and systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Systems Administrator | Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $62,225 | $82,834 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $74,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Jacobs Engineering Group | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a junior systems administrator and a systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Systems Administrator | Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between junior systems administrators' and systems engineers' demographics:
| Junior Systems Administrator | Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |