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The differences between senior information systems engineers 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 senior information systems engineer and a senior system administrator. Additionally, a senior information systems engineer has an average salary of $113,965, which is higher than the $98,146 average annual salary of a senior system administrator.
The top three skills for a senior information systems engineer include NIST, linux and DOD. The most important skills for a senior system administrator are linux, windows server, and troubleshoot.
| Senior Information Systems Engineer | Senior System Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $113,965 | $98,146 |
| Hourly rate | $54.79 | $47.19 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 168,069 | 100,873 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior information systems engineer deals with technical issues. This position requires excellent interpersonal skills, including organizational abilities and written and verbal communication skills. They are responsible for resolving escalated service issues, maintaining the technology of their assigned accounts, coaching other engineers for resolutions, documenting maintenance for all computer systems and network infrastructure, performing network assessments and security audits and new client consultation, and implementing complex projects.
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.
Senior information systems engineers and senior system administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Information Systems Engineer | Senior System Administrator | |
| Average salary | $113,965 | $98,146 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $161,000 | Between $75,000 And $126,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati | Cambridge Associates |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior information systems engineer and a senior system administrator in terms of educational background:
| Senior Information Systems Engineer | Senior System Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior information systems engineers' and senior system administrators' demographics:
| Senior Information Systems Engineer | Senior System Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7% | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 10.8% White, 62.0% 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% |