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The differences between senior systems engineers and senior infrastructure 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 senior infrastructure engineer. Additionally, a senior infrastructure engineer has an average salary of $117,765, 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 senior infrastructure engineer are cloud, AWS, and linux.
| Senior Systems Engineer | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,121 | $117,765 |
| Hourly rate | $51.98 | $56.62 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 166,742 | 78,855 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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 senior infrastructure engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and infrastructures based on client preferences and industry standards. They have the duty to identify and understand the project's needs, streamline project requirements, produce drafts, create prototypes and models, and establish tests to identify potential issues and ensure the projects' quality. Additionally, a senior infrastructure engineer has the authority to make decisions, train and supervise junior engineers, establish goals and timelines, provide technical support, and implement policies and guidelines.
Senior systems engineers and senior infrastructure engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Systems Engineer | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,121 | $117,765 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $141,000 | Between $87,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Roku | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a senior systems engineer and a senior infrastructure engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Systems Engineer | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior systems engineers' and senior infrastructure engineers' demographics:
| Senior Systems Engineer | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| 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, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 10.7% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |