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The differences between security systems administrators 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 security systems administrator and a senior system administrator. Additionally, a senior system administrator has an average salary of $98,146, which is higher than the $79,008 average annual salary of a security systems administrator.
The top three skills for a security systems administrator include security systems, troubleshoot and linux. The most important skills for a senior system administrator are linux, windows server, and troubleshoot.
| Security Systems Administrator | Senior System Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $79,008 | $98,146 |
| Hourly rate | $37.98 | $47.19 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 173,690 | 100,873 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Security Systems Administrators are responsible for managing the security systems operations of an organization. Their duties include conducting penetration and vulnerability tests, establishing policies for network security, implementing protocols for disaster recovery, configuring security tools, carry out security audits, and monitor network traffic. Security Systems Administrators also advise executives on best practices and assist staff training programs in security procedures and awareness. They work on protecting the network against unauthorized access, destruction, or modification.
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.
Security systems administrators and senior system administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Systems Administrator | Senior System Administrator | |
| Average salary | $79,008 | $98,146 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $103,000 | Between $75,000 And $126,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Raven Software | Cambridge Associates |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a security systems administrator and a senior system administrator in terms of educational background:
| Security Systems Administrator | Senior System Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between security systems administrators' and senior system administrators' demographics:
| Security Systems Administrator | Senior System Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.1% 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% |