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The differences between senior system administrators and 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 system administrator and a systems engineer. Additionally, a senior system administrator has an average salary of $98,146, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for a senior system administrator include linux, windows server and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a systems engineer are python, linux, and C++.
| Senior System Administrator | Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,146 | $82,834 |
| Hourly rate | $47.19 | $39.82 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 100,873 | 145,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Senior system administrators and systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior System Administrator | Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,146 | $82,834 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $126,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cambridge Associates | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior system administrator and a systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior System Administrator | Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between senior system administrators' and systems engineers' demographics:
| Senior System Administrator | Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |