Systems administrator vs systems support analyst

The differences between systems administrators and systems support analysts 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 support analyst. Additionally, a systems support analyst has an average salary of $82,219, 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 support analyst are troubleshoot, customer service, and database.

Systems administrator vs systems support analyst overview

	Systems Administrator	Systems Support Analyst
Yearly salary	$77,156	$82,219
Hourly rate	$37.09	$39.53
Growth rate	5%	10%
Number of jobs	134,500	161,168
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	43	42
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 support analyst do?

A systems support analyst is responsible for supporting the operations of the technology department of an organization, resolving network issues, and maintaining the safety and security of the system database. Systems support analysts must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, identifying system process improvements, upgrading system infrastructure, and assisting end-users with navigation. They also create resolution reports for reference, including recommendations to prevent future inconsistencies and glitches. A systems support analyst conducts regular maintenance checks on the technology servers and immediately performs troubleshooting as needed for optimization.

Systems administrator vs systems support analyst salary

Systems administrators and systems support analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Systems Administrator	Systems Support Analyst
Average salary	$77,156	$82,219
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $100,000	Between $58,000 And $114,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Meta	Virtu Financial
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between systems administrator and systems support analyst education

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

	Systems Administrator	Systems Support Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Systems administrator vs systems support analyst demographics

Here are the differences between systems administrators' and systems support analysts' demographics:

	Systems Administrator	Systems Support Analyst
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%	Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	11%

Differences between systems administrator and systems support analyst 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 support analyst example responsibilities.

Manage and support enterprise blackberry and smart phones and tablets.
Utilize UNIX on a daily basis to manage customers' files (modify, process, removal).
Set up new user VOIP accounts, manage and transfer current users, and delete old user accounts.
Manage LAN infrastructure configuring and maintaining all network hardware devices.
Provide first level support to LAN users within the corporate office and remote locations.
Move anyone's computer/Cicso IP phone who requests it.

Systems administrator vs systems support analyst skills

Common systems administrator skills

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

Common systems support analyst skills

Troubleshoot, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Database, 6%
Technical Support, 5%
Linux, 4%
System Support, 4%

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Systems Administrator vs Systems Support Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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