Senior linux systems administrator vs systems administrator

The differences between senior linux systems administrators and 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 systems administrator. Additionally, a senior linux systems administrator has an average salary of $106,223, which is higher than the $77,156 average annual salary of a systems administrator.

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

Senior linux systems administrator vs systems administrator overview

	Senior Linux Systems Administrator	Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$106,223	$77,156
Hourly rate	$51.07	$37.09
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	107,134	134,500
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
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 systems administrator do?

Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures. They are responsible for installing, configuring, or updating network systems, software, and hardware. They also monitor the different systems and troubleshoot any issues that users may encounter. Systems administrators manage the access of users, ensure the security of the network, and address any challenges that users may have. They conduct repairs and routine maintenance to ensure that the systems in place are in the best shape.

Senior linux systems administrator vs systems administrator salary

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

	Senior Linux Systems Administrator	Systems Administrator
Average salary	$106,223	$77,156
Salary range	Between $82,000 And $137,000	Between $59,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Anaplan	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between senior linux systems administrator and systems administrator education

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

	Senior Linux Systems Administrator	Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	-	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Senior linux systems administrator vs systems administrator demographics

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

	Senior Linux Systems Administrator	Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
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, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between senior linux systems administrator and 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.

Systems administrator example responsibilities.

Used Jenkins to automate most of the build relate tasks.
Manage windows file servers, messaging, and SQL databases.
Lead the project which integrate internal DNS into the corporate LDAP infrastructure for end user host management prior to deployment.
Lead business-critical information security initiatives involving encryption of customer data.
Authore and maintain shell and Perl scripts to automate administration tasks for infrastructure management.
Configure & manage all switches and servers responsible for providing WLAN connectivity and authentication services.

Senior linux systems administrator vs systems administrator skills

Common senior linux systems administrator skills

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

Common systems administrator skills

Linux, 7%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Windows Server, 6%
Database, 5%
Technical Support, 4%
PowerShell, 3%

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Senior Linux Systems Administrator
Senior Linux Systems Administrator vs Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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