Senior system administrator vs unix systems administrator

The differences between senior system administrators and unix 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 system administrator and a unix systems administrator. Additionally, a senior system administrator has an average salary of $98,146, which is higher than the $87,936 average annual salary of a unix systems administrator.

The top three skills for a senior system administrator include linux, windows server and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a unix systems administrator are production servers, solaris, and database.

Senior system administrator vs unix systems administrator overview

	Senior System Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$98,146	$87,936
Hourly rate	$47.19	$42.28
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	100,873	110,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a senior system administrator do?

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.

What does a unix systems administrator do?

UNIX system administrators install, configure, and maintain the UNIX systems of organizations. The administrators are in charge of the troubleshooting of server errors. They install new system hardware for their respective organizations and respond to the issues raised by the users. It is part of their job to monitor the network's performance. Usually, they are working in an office using UNIX multiuser operating system. They supervise the execution of data conversion projects such as database hardware replacements.

Senior system administrator vs unix systems administrator salary

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

	Senior System Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Average salary	$98,146	$87,936
Salary range	Between $75,000 And $126,000	Between $64,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Cambridge Associates	PayPal
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between senior system administrator and unix systems administrator education

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

	Senior System Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Senior system administrator vs unix systems administrator demographics

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

	Senior System Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.8% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between senior system administrator and unix systems administrator duties and responsibilities

Senior system administrator example responsibilities.

Manage and optimize the design and delivery of project associate with AIX arena.
Manage all installs and setup of new servers, and server upgrades to server 2008 R2.
Implement IIS servers for both the internal and external web servers and managing security on all web servers.
Design, implement, and manage a network and domain extension in a remote location via a secure VPN link.
Manage Cisco network equipment including firewalls and switches.
Administer and manage daily backups via Symantec NetBackup.

Unix systems administrator example responsibilities.

Manage LUN assignments from Shark/Hitachi SAN through the fiber switches.
Manage system kernel settings to boost performance base on root cause analysis for performance issues.
Manage and maintain local area network (TCP/IP), consisting of 2 NCR 3430 servers and 130+ client workstations.
Help automate server and storage provisioning.
Manage resources for zones using Solaris 10container technology.
Manage AWS services and provide redundancy for internal corporate systems.

Senior system administrator vs unix systems administrator skills

Common senior system administrator skills

Linux, 7%
Windows Server, 6%
Troubleshoot, 5%
System Administration, 4%
PowerShell, 4%
SAN, 4%

Common unix systems administrator skills

Production Servers, 8%
Solaris, 5%
Database, 4%
SAN, 4%
System Administration, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

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Senior System Administrator vs Unix Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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