Laboratory administrator vs senior system administrator

The differences between laboratory administrators and senior system 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 laboratory administrator and a senior system administrator. Additionally, a senior system administrator has an average salary of $98,146, which is higher than the $83,338 average annual salary of a laboratory administrator.

The top three skills for a laboratory administrator include lab equipment, linux and customer service. The most important skills for a senior system administrator are linux, windows server, and troubleshoot.

Laboratory administrator vs senior system administrator overview

	Laboratory Administrator	Senior System Administrator
Yearly salary	$83,338	$98,146
Hourly rate	$40.07	$47.19
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	94,246	100,873
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a laboratory administrator do?

A Laboratory Administrator oversees the daily operations of laboratories to ensure efficiency and smooth workflow. They have the authority to manage staff, set goals and guidelines, establish budgets and timelines, liaise with internal and external partners, supervise equipment acquisition processes, and review documentation. They are also responsible for implementing the facility's safety policies and regulations, developing new ones as needed. A Laboratory Administrator may work at learning institutions, medical facilities, government agencies, and private laboratories for employment.

What does a senior system administrator do?

A senior system administrator specializes in overseeing the computer system operations in an organization. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around monitoring the performance of all software and hardware, installing servers, configuring systems, and making sure every technical aspect is running smoothly. Should there be any issues, they must take charge of troubleshooting and providing solutions. As someone with more experience, a senior system administrator leads and evaluates the performances of fellow skilled professionals in the department, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Laboratory administrator vs senior system administrator salary

Laboratory administrators and senior system administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laboratory Administrator	Senior System Administrator
Average salary	$83,338	$98,146
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $138,000	Between $75,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	South San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Arista Networks	Cambridge Associates
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between laboratory administrator and senior system administrator education

There are a few differences between a laboratory administrator and a senior system administrator in terms of educational background:

	Laboratory Administrator	Senior System Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Laboratory administrator vs senior system administrator demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory administrators' and senior system administrators' demographics:

	Laboratory Administrator	Senior System Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 13.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between laboratory administrator and senior system administrator duties and responsibilities

Laboratory administrator example responsibilities.

Install and manage Cisco routing and switching equipments, IOS upgrades and configuration changes.
Manage integrated network connectivity, reporting, and troubleshooting including switch, router, and firewall connectivity to increase system stability.
Set up and configure test beds for routers and switches for engineers.
Install and uninstall networking switches, routers, servers, etc., in lab racks.
Perform maintenance/troubleshooting for lab computers and printers.
Provide UNIX and graphic software support to students.

Senior system administrator example responsibilities.

Manage and optimize the design and delivery of project associate with AIX arena.
Manage all installs and setup of new servers, and server upgrades to server 2008 R2.
Implement IIS servers for both the internal and external web servers and managing security on all web servers.
Design, implement, and manage a network and domain extension in a remote location via a secure VPN link.
Manage Cisco network equipment including firewalls and switches.
Administer and manage daily backups via Symantec NetBackup.

Laboratory administrator vs senior system administrator skills

Common laboratory administrator skills

Lab Equipment, 24%
Linux, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Data Entry, 5%
Chemistry, 5%
Switches, 4%

Common senior system administrator skills

Linux, 7%
Windows Server, 6%
Troubleshoot, 5%
System Administration, 4%
PowerShell, 4%
SAN, 4%

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Laboratory Administrator vs Senior System Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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