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The differences between network operators and senior network 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 network operator and a senior network engineer. Additionally, a senior network engineer has an average salary of $111,707, which is higher than the $54,148 average annual salary of a network operator.
The top three skills for a network operator include switches, customer service and routers. The most important skills for a senior network engineer are switches, BGP, and OSPF.
| Network Operator | Senior Network Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $54,148 | $111,707 |
| Hourly rate | $26.03 | $53.71 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 51,668 | 35,428 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Network Provider in an organization is the person who provides wired and wireless communication services that own or control the infrastructure that is important when it comes to selling and delivering services to mobile network operators, virtual network operators, and end-users. You will be required to monitor and troubleshoot communication and application-related tools, maintain the wireless network infrastructure, test and implement new products and services and plan and manage telecommunication services when large and complex projects are being carried out.
A senior network engineer is responsible for managing the organization's network infrastructure, handling advanced network issues, upgrading the system's design for optimization, configuring network features, and ensuring the network's highest security measures to avoid unauthorized access and suspicious activities. Senior network engineers work with network architects to implement network designs, run diagnostic tests, and create network solution reports for review and recovery reference. A senior network engineer must have excellent communication and organization skills and broad knowledge of the technology industry, programming languages, and system codes.
Network operators and senior network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Operator | Senior Network Engineer | |
| Average salary | $54,148 | $111,707 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $98,000 | Between $85,000 And $145,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | State Street | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a network operator and a senior network engineer in terms of educational background:
| Network Operator | Senior Network Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | - |
Here are the differences between network operators' and senior network engineers' demographics:
| Network Operator | Senior Network Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 13.5% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |