Senior linux systems administrator vs junior systems administrator

The differences between senior linux systems administrators and junior systems 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 linux systems administrator and a junior systems administrator. Additionally, a senior linux systems administrator has an average salary of $106,223, which is higher than the $62,225 average annual salary of a junior systems administrator.

The top three skills for a senior linux systems administrator include python, windows and cloud. The most important skills for a junior systems administrator are windows server, troubleshoot, and technical support.

Senior linux systems administrator vs junior systems administrator overview

	Senior Linux Systems Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$106,223	$62,225
Hourly rate	$51.07	$29.92
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	107,134	154,134
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a senior linux systems administrator do?

Senior Linux systems administrators are computer system professionals who are responsible for monitoring the performance of Linux-based operating systems. These administrators must propose, implement, and manage software and hardware solutions to ensure data integrity and perform troubleshooting to critical and software issues. They are required to apply best practices in software engineering so that they can deliver projects on time and with excellent quality. Senior Linux systems administrators must also develop and execute test plans for filesystem upgrades and address any issues that arise during testing with vendors.

What does a junior systems administrator do?

A junior systems administrator is primarily responsible for handling and maintaining systems for users while under the supervision of a more experienced systems administrator. Their responsibilities often revolve around assisting senior administrators, troubleshooting support, providing installations and configurations, and handling inquiries and concerns, providing them with corrective measures. Aside from support tasks, one may also have administrative duties such as producing reports and presentations, managing schedules, and maintaining accurate data of all transactions. Furthermore, it is essential to adhere to all the policies and regulations of the company.

Senior linux systems administrator vs junior systems administrator salary

Senior linux systems administrators and junior systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Linux Systems Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Average salary	$106,223	$62,225
Salary range	Between $82,000 And $137,000	Between $51,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Anaplan	Jacobs Engineering Group
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between senior linux systems administrator and junior systems administrator education

There are a few differences between a senior linux systems administrator and a junior systems administrator in terms of educational background:

	Senior Linux Systems Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Senior linux systems administrator vs junior systems administrator demographics

Here are the differences between senior linux systems administrators' and junior systems administrators' demographics:

	Senior Linux Systems Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%	Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 12.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between senior linux systems administrator and junior systems administrator duties and responsibilities

Senior linux systems administrator example responsibilities.

Manage TCP/IP packets and DHCP servers.
Administer Jenkins for managing weekly build, test and deploy cycle.
Used AWS S3 and EC2 for managing storage, launching virtual servers, configuration of security & networking.
Manage NFS and NAS mounting that include adding new mounts, resolving mounting issues on Solaris and RedHat Linux platforms.
Lead system virtualization project and reduce server numbers.
Experience shell scripting to automate administration jobs including backups for Websphere administration repository.

Junior systems administrator example responsibilities.

Manage Linux servers, running primarily CentOS.
Manage customer accounts and cases in Salesforce.
Load and manage customer provide encryption files.
Create, run and manage server back-ups monthly.
Develop PowerShell scripts to revamp and automate server build process.
Maintain and manage windows 2012 R2 in a virtual environment.

Senior linux systems administrator vs junior systems administrator skills

Common senior linux systems administrator skills

Python, 7%
Windows, 6%
Cloud, 5%
Bash, 5%
OS, 4%
Red Hat, 4%

Common junior systems administrator skills

Windows Server, 7%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Technical Support, 5%
System Administration, 5%
Switches, 5%
OS, 4%

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Senior Linux Systems Administrator
Senior Linux Systems Administrator vs Junior Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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