Senior information technology administrator vs information technology systems manager

The differences between senior information technology administrators and information technology systems managers 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 information technology administrator, becoming an information technology systems manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an information technology systems manager has an average salary of $130,526, which is higher than the $105,357 average annual salary of a senior information technology administrator.

The top three skills for a senior information technology administrator include linux, SAN and unity. The most important skills for an information technology systems manager are customer service, project management, and network infrastructure.

Senior information technology administrator vs information technology systems manager overview

	Senior Information Technology Administrator	Information Technology Systems Manager
Yearly salary	$105,357	$130,526
Hourly rate	$50.65	$62.75
Growth rate	5%	16%
Number of jobs	156,682	156,656
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	43	47
Years of experience	2	8

What does a senior information technology administrator do?

A senior information technology administrator leads and oversees the efforts in maintaining computer systems and infrastructures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities include setting goals and objectives, managing budgets and schedules, supervising the installation and upgrades of systems, and developing strategies to optimize a company's information technology operations. They may also perform regular maintenance checks on systems, performing corrective measures as needed. Furthermore, as a senior administrator, it is essential to serve as a role model to junior administrators and staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does an information technology systems manager do?

An information technology systems manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and optimal performance of the organization's technology systems. Information technology systems managers ensure the safety and security of all the network systems, developing standard operating procedures to avoid unauthorized access and suspicious activities. They also identify technical opportunities to improve network infrastructures and technology solutions. An information technology systems manager must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes to design configuration and maintain the stability of systems.

Senior information technology administrator vs information technology systems manager salary

Senior information technology administrators and information technology systems managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Information Technology Administrator	Information Technology Systems Manager
Average salary	$105,357	$130,526
Salary range	Between $82,000 And $135,000	Between $95,000 And $178,000
Highest paying City	Milpitas, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Cohesity	Southern California Edison
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between senior information technology administrator and information technology systems manager education

There are a few differences between a senior information technology administrator and an information technology systems manager in terms of educational background:

	Senior Information Technology Administrator	Information Technology Systems Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Carnegie Mellon University

Senior information technology administrator vs information technology systems manager demographics

Here are the differences between senior information technology administrators' and information technology systems managers' demographics:

	Senior Information Technology Administrator	Information Technology Systems Manager
Average age	43	47
Gender ratio	Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8%	Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 12.0% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	11%

Differences between senior information technology administrator and information technology systems manager duties and responsibilities

Senior information technology administrator example responsibilities.

Maintain accurate VOIP phone inventory to manage costs.
Manage installation of SharePoint farm OS security patches and SharePoint & SQL CUs and SP updates.
Network administration utilizing Dell/ Force10 manage switches, as well as Aruba and FortiNet wireless devices.
Manage SharePoint permissions and configuration of SharePoint accounts and sites.
Design and install the SAN environment to support the VMWare infrastructure.
Audit and enforce systems security standards for the UNIX and Linux operations environment.

Information technology systems manager example responsibilities.

Manage VMware on several systems for compatibility with older applications as well as new systems.
Manage the HP-UX deployment of thousands of users worldwide, resolve any OS integration incompatibilities.
Lead the implementation, management, and support of the company's first POS application.
Manage a significant capital and expense budget for the UNIX server infrastructure and negotiate contracts with hardware and software vendors.
Manage development, QA, user acceptance testing, and production release of virtual environment for numerous title and escrow applications.
Manage team resources and expectations on the implementation of a new system intranet and patient portal (https: //myiuhealth.org/).

Senior information technology administrator vs information technology systems manager skills

Common senior information technology administrator skills

Linux, 7%
SAN, 6%
Unity, 4%
Windows Server, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%
Unix, 3%

Common information technology systems manager skills

Customer Service, 8%
Project Management, 8%
Network Infrastructure, 4%
SAN, 4%
SQL Server, 3%
Windows Server, 3%

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Senior Information Technology Administrator vs Information Technology Systems Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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