Systems administrator vs systems administrator lead

The differences between systems administrators and systems administrator leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a systems administrator and a systems administrator lead. Additionally, a systems administrator lead has an average salary of $99,956, which is higher than the $77,156 average annual salary of a systems administrator.

The top three skills for a systems administrator include linux, troubleshoot and windows server. The most important skills for a systems administrator lead are linux, project management, and windows server.

Systems administrator vs systems administrator lead overview

	Systems Administrator	Systems Administrator Lead
Yearly salary	$77,156	$99,956
Hourly rate	$37.09	$48.06
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	134,500	132,285
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a systems administrator lead do?

A systems administrator lead is responsible for planning, designing, and implementing procedures for critical enterprise systems. Typical duties of systems administrators include managing the day-to-day operations of a company's computer and network systems, developing new application and system implementation plans, and establishing guidelines for installing and managing the organization's computer operating systems. In addition, you are expected to ensure the security of computer systems by preventing unauthorized use, user abuse, and acts of nature.

Systems administrator vs systems administrator lead salary

Systems administrators and systems administrator leads have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Systems Administrator	Systems Administrator Lead
Average salary	$77,156	$99,956
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $100,000	Between $77,000 And $129,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	Kabam
Best paying industry	Technology	Telecommunication

Differences between systems administrator and systems administrator lead education

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

	Systems Administrator	Systems Administrator Lead
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Systems administrator vs systems administrator lead demographics

Here are the differences between systems administrators' and systems administrator leads' demographics:

	Systems Administrator	Systems Administrator Lead
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.7% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between systems administrator and systems administrator lead duties and responsibilities

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.

Systems administrator lead example responsibilities.

Manage all Citrix user connections and issues, print network, server environment and supplies.
Manage printers on the print servers and re-serve IP addresses for devices from the DHCP servers.
Manage software development group SharePoint portal.
Save company many hours of manual testing and developing by engineering Java applications to automate tedious tasks.
Manage development, manufacturing, test and delivery of custom broadband RF electronic test systems for military and aerospace customers.
Perform day-to-day management of system applications and services (NTP, DNS, LDAP, etc .).

Systems administrator vs systems administrator lead skills

Common systems administrator skills

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

Common systems administrator lead skills

Linux, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Windows Server, 5%
System Performance, 5%
Technical Support, 5%
Database, 5%

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Systems Administrator vs Systems Administrator Lead

Updated January 8, 2025

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