Security administrator vs unix systems administrator

The differences between security administrators and 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 security administrator and a unix systems administrator. Additionally, a unix systems administrator has an average salary of $87,936, which is higher than the $79,564 average annual salary of a security administrator.

The top three skills for a security administrator include customer service, troubleshoot and security procedures. The most important skills for a unix systems administrator are production servers, solaris, and database.

Security administrator vs unix systems administrator overview

	Security Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$79,564	$87,936
Hourly rate	$38.25	$42.28
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	99,222	110,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a unix systems administrator do?

UNIX system administrators install, configure, and maintain the UNIX systems of organizations. The administrators are in charge of the troubleshooting of server errors. They install new system hardware for their respective organizations and respond to the issues raised by the users. It is part of their job to monitor the network's performance. Usually, they are working in an office using UNIX multiuser operating system. They supervise the execution of data conversion projects such as database hardware replacements.

Security administrator vs unix systems administrator salary

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

	Security Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Average salary	$79,564	$87,936
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $115,000	Between $64,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Gap Inc.	PayPal
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between security administrator and unix systems administrator education

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

	Security Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Computer Science
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Security administrator vs unix systems administrator demographics

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

	Security Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.8% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between security administrator and unix systems administrator duties and responsibilities

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.

Unix systems administrator example responsibilities.

Manage LUN assignments from Shark/Hitachi SAN through the fiber switches.
Manage system kernel settings to boost performance base on root cause analysis for performance issues.
Manage and maintain local area network (TCP/IP), consisting of 2 NCR 3430 servers and 130+ client workstations.
Help automate server and storage provisioning.
Manage resources for zones using Solaris 10container technology.
Manage AWS services and provide redundancy for internal corporate systems.

Security administrator vs unix systems administrator skills

Common security administrator skills

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

Common unix systems administrator skills

Production Servers, 8%
Solaris, 5%
Database, 4%
SAN, 4%
System Administration, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

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Security Administrator vs Unix Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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