Network security engineer vs senior system administrator

The differences between network security engineers 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 network security engineer and a senior system administrator. Additionally, a senior system administrator has an average salary of $98,146, which is higher than the $88,322 average annual salary of a network security engineer.

The top three skills for a network security engineer include network security, windows and cisco asa. The most important skills for a senior system administrator are linux, windows server, and troubleshoot.

Network security engineer vs senior system administrator overview

	Network Security Engineer	Senior System Administrator
Yearly salary	$88,322	$98,146
Hourly rate	$42.46	$47.19
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	91,892	100,873
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a network security engineer do?

A network security engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of all the organization's network systems, conducting regular configuration and maintenance to avoid unauthorized access and suspicious activities that may pose risks for the company's integrity. Network security engineers manage security threats and strategize resolutions to mitigate the reoccurrence of security issues. They also develop security enhancement recommendations, update network infrastructure, and monitor system activities. A network security engineer should have excellent communication and technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes.

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.

Network security engineer vs senior system administrator salary

Network security engineers and senior system administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Network Security Engineer	Senior System Administrator
Average salary	$88,322	$98,146
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $120,000	Between $75,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	The Knot	Cambridge Associates
Best paying industry	Retail	Finance

Differences between network security engineer and senior system administrator education

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

	Network Security Engineer	Senior System Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Network security engineer vs senior system administrator demographics

Here are the differences between network security engineers' and senior system administrators' demographics:

	Network Security Engineer	Senior System Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3%	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% 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 network security engineer and senior system administrator duties and responsibilities

Network security engineer example responsibilities.

Add and manage nodes in SolarWinds for monitoring purposes using SNMP v1/v2/v3.
Work with VMware NSX with deployment of greenfield environment and managing and troubleshooting issues with NSX.
Interact successfully with both program leads and DoD customer to ensure objectives are completed on time.
Experience in managing and troubleshooting Linux or Unix base operating systems.
Manage information technology security, including backups, firewalls, and routers.
Design and manage information systems security policy, implementation, and management for a globally distribute MPLS infrastructure.

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.

Network security engineer vs senior system administrator skills

Common network security engineer skills

Network Security, 10%
Windows, 5%
Cisco Asa, 4%
Switches, 4%
Linux, 4%
Troubleshoot, 3%

Common senior system administrator skills

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

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Network Security Engineer vs Senior System Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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