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The differences between senior systems engineers and lead 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 systems engineer and a lead systems engineer. Additionally, a lead systems engineer has an average salary of $119,705, which is higher than the $108,121 average annual salary of a senior systems engineer.
The top three skills for a senior systems engineer include architecture, linux and java. The most important skills for a lead systems engineer are systems engineering, architecture, and infrastructure.
| Senior Systems Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,121 | $119,705 |
| Hourly rate | $51.98 | $57.55 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 166,742 | 186,392 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior systems engineer specializes in overseeing network systems, management tools, software, and hardware within a company or an organization. Their primary responsibility is to install, maintain, and resolve complex system issues using their years of extensive knowledge and expertise. They can also provide insights, troubleshooting, and technical support should it be needed. Furthermore, as a senior systems engineer, it is also their responsibility to lead, supervise, and coordinate with a team of skilled system engineers while in adherence to company policies and regulations.
A lead systems engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the systems infrastructure and improving the stability of the operating systems to support business operations. Lead systems engineers install and upgrade software applications and ensure that the technical strategies meet the quality standards and business requirements. They also enhance the performance of the existing systems, configuring features for optimization. A lead systems engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in supporting the end-users with technical failures and identifying accurate resolutions.
Senior systems engineers and lead systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Systems Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,121 | $119,705 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $141,000 | Between $90,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior systems engineer and a lead systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Systems Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between senior systems engineers' and lead systems engineers' demographics:
| Senior Systems Engineer | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 12.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |