Linux administrator vs senior unix systems administrator

The differences between linux administrators and senior unix systems 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 linux administrator and a senior unix systems administrator. Additionally, a senior unix systems administrator has an average salary of $116,752, which is higher than the $79,996 average annual salary of a linux administrator.

The top three skills for a linux administrator include python, windows and linux servers. The most important skills for a senior unix systems administrator are production servers, solaris, and troubleshoot.

Linux administrator vs senior unix systems administrator overview

	Linux Administrator	Senior Unix Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$79,996	$116,752
Hourly rate	$38.46	$56.13
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	56,604	107,049
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Linux administrator vs senior unix systems administrator salary

Linux administrators and senior unix systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Linux Administrator	Senior Unix Systems Administrator
Average salary	$79,996	$116,752
Salary range	Between $62,000 And $101,000	Between $90,000 And $150,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	Bothell, WA
Highest paying state	Maryland	Washington
Best paying company	Medline	PayPal
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between linux administrator and senior unix systems administrator education

There are a few differences between a linux administrator and a senior unix systems administrator in terms of educational background:

	Linux Administrator	Senior Unix Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Linux administrator vs senior unix systems administrator demographics

Here are the differences between linux administrators' and senior unix systems administrators' demographics:

	Linux Administrator	Senior Unix Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%	Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between linux administrator and senior unix systems administrator duties and responsibilities

Linux administrator example responsibilities.

Manage PGP/GPG encryption in FTP/SFTP scripts.
Manage TCP/IP packets and DHCP servers and resolving TCP/IP network access problems for the clients.
Manage entire network infrastructure, switches, firewalls, servers (configuration/installation), patch management, vendor relations.
Configure and manage splunk forwarders.
Develop bash scripts to automate system/build processing.
Work with Zen virtualization to manage virtual Linux operating systems.

Senior unix systems administrator example responsibilities.

Install and manage DB2 servers on AIX.
Manage user accounts and groups on a large scale in LDAP and NIS environments.
Write shell, Perl, python, ruby scripts to automate daily repetitive activities.
Create and maintain shell and PERL scripts to automate and monitor within the UNIX environment.
Manage hardware replacements such as disks, modules, shelves on NetApp and BlueArc storage.
Team's lead change management process coordinator - manage changes, resources, and schedules during change windows.

Linux administrator vs senior unix systems administrator skills

Common linux administrator skills

Python, 7%
Windows, 5%
Linux Servers, 4%
Bash, 4%
Red Hat, 4%
OS, 3%

Common senior unix systems administrator skills

Production Servers, 8%
Solaris, 6%
Troubleshoot, 5%
VMware, 4%
OS, 4%
Windows, 4%

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Linux Administrator vs Senior Unix Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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