Systems administrator vs unix systems administrator

The differences between systems 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 systems administrator and a unix systems administrator. Additionally, a unix systems administrator has an average salary of $87,936, 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 unix systems administrator are production servers, solaris, and database.

Systems administrator vs unix systems administrator overview

	Systems Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$77,156	$87,936
Hourly rate	$37.09	$42.28
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	134,500	110,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
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 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.

Systems administrator vs unix systems administrator salary

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

	Systems Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Average salary	$77,156	$87,936
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $100,000	Between $64,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	PayPal
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between systems administrator and unix systems administrator education

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

	Systems Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Systems administrator vs unix systems administrator demographics

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

	Systems Administrator	Unix Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%
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, 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 systems administrator and unix systems administrator 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.

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.

Systems administrator vs unix systems administrator skills

Common systems administrator skills

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

Common unix systems administrator skills

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

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Systems Administrator vs Unix Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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