Operations system administrator vs security administrator

The differences between operations system administrators and security administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an operations system administrator and a security administrator. Additionally, a security administrator has an average salary of $79,564, which is higher than the $76,891 average annual salary of an operations system administrator.

The top three skills for an operations system administrator include technical support, linux and customer service. The most important skills for a security administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and security procedures.

Operations system administrator vs security administrator overview

	Operations System Administrator	Security Administrator
Yearly salary	$76,891	$79,564
Hourly rate	$36.97	$38.25
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	173,494	99,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does an operations system administrator do?

In the information technology industry, an Operations System Administrator is responsible for overseeing and maintaining computer systems, including software, hardware, and applications. They are responsible for supervising staff, spearheading installations and repairs, troubleshooting problems, diagnosing and resolving technical issues and concerns, and ensuring data security and safety by implementing back-ups, firewalls, and other protocols. Moreover, as an operations system administrator, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals while implementing standards and regulations to maintain the smooth flow of operations.

What does a security administrator do?

A security administrator is in charge of establishing and enforcing security measures over a company's information systems and networks. Their duties typically revolve around installing and maintaining security networks, analyzing existing systems to identify areas needing improvement, conducting regular maintenance checks and upgrades to optimize services and functions, and monitoring overall systems for any suspicious activities or breaches. Furthermore, as a security administrator, it is essential to develop information technology solutions in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Operations system administrator vs security administrator salary

Operations system administrators and security administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operations System Administrator	Security Administrator
Average salary	$76,891	$79,564
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $98,000	Between $54,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	PayPal	Gap Inc.
Best paying industry	Utilities	Government

Differences between operations system administrator and security administrator education

There are a few differences between an operations system administrator and a security administrator in terms of educational background:

	Operations System Administrator	Security Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	California State University - Bakersfield

Operations system administrator vs security administrator demographics

Here are the differences between operations system administrators' and security administrators' demographics:

	Operations System Administrator	Security Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8%	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between operations system administrator and security administrator duties and responsibilities

Operations system administrator example responsibilities.

Manage VOIP Digium phones for clients.
Manage and update share drive and SharePoint.
Manage DNS, SMTP for Webservers contacting customers.
Manage LDAP accounts on across the enterprise system.
Manage machines and accounts in active directory and dhcp.
Lead a team of 5 engineers providing PC support to 1,000 customers and implement PC disaster recovery efforts for 400 customers.

Security administrator example responsibilities.

Manage updates and creation of intranet file.
Create, manage, and maintain corporate LAN.
Manage and monitor various tools and reporting tools relating to security and encryption.
Manage all network objects: computers, users, TCP/IP resources, printers, copier.
Manage staff to implement JCL procedure modifications.
Utilize PowerShell scripts to automate system administrative tasks.

Operations system administrator vs security administrator skills

Common operations system administrator skills

Technical Support, 9%
Linux, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
VMware, 4%
SQL, 4%
Windows Server, 4%

Common security administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Security Procedures, 6%
Data Entry, 5%
Security Policies, 5%
SCI, 5%

Operations System Administrator vs. similar jobs

Operations System Administrator related careers

Operations System Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Computer and Mathematical Industry
Operations System Administrator
Operations System Administrator vs Security Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs