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The differences between senior data center engineers and engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior data center engineer, becoming an engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior data center engineer has an average salary of $103,215, which is higher than the $92,077 average annual salary of an engineer.
The top three skills for a senior data center engineer include windows, vmware esxi and nexus. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Senior Data Center Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,215 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $49.62 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 139,255 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A senior data center engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and networks to optimize data center operations. It is their responsibility to set guidelines and objectives, identify and understand the needs of facilities, conduct research and analyses, develop prototypes and test structures, troubleshoot problems, perform installations and repairs, and conduct regular maintenance checks on systems. Moreover, a senior data center engineer oversees projects and leads junior engineers to reach goals, all while implementing the company's data security policies and regulations.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Senior data center engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Data Center Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,215 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $140,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | CDW | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior data center engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Data Center Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior data center engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Senior Data Center Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 11.0% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |