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The differences between senior data center engineers and senior systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a senior data center engineer and a senior systems engineer. Additionally, a senior systems engineer has an average salary of $108,121, which is higher than the $103,215 average annual salary of a senior data center engineer.
The top three skills for a senior data center engineer include windows, vmware esxi and nexus. The most important skills for a senior systems engineer are architecture, linux, and java.
| Senior Data Center Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,215 | $108,121 |
| Hourly rate | $49.62 | $51.98 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 139,255 | 166,742 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A senior systems engineer specializes in overseeing network systems, management tools, software, and hardware within a company or an organization. Their primary responsibility is to install, maintain, and resolve complex system issues using their years of extensive knowledge and expertise. They can also provide insights, troubleshooting, and technical support should it be needed. Furthermore, as a senior systems engineer, it is also their responsibility to lead, supervise, and coordinate with a team of skilled system engineers while in adherence to company policies and regulations.
Senior data center engineers and senior systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Data Center Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,215 | $108,121 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $140,000 | Between $82,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | Washington |
| Best paying company | CDW | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior data center engineer and a senior systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Data Center Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between senior data center engineers' and senior systems engineers' demographics:
| Senior Data Center Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1% | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |