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The differences between systems architects and senior infrastructure engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior infrastructure engineer has an average salary of $117,765, which is higher than the $103,764 average annual salary of a systems architect.
The top three skills for a systems architect include cloud, java and python. The most important skills for a senior infrastructure engineer are cloud, AWS, and linux.
| Systems Architect | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,764 | $117,765 |
| Hourly rate | $49.89 | $56.62 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 232,582 | 78,855 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A systems architect specializes in designing and developing computer networks and systems for company operations. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting research and analysis to identify a company's needs, devising strategies to reach particular goals, improving existing systems, and implementing solutions for optimal processes. A systems architect must also monitor the progress of all implementations, prepare progress reports and presentations, provide technical support as needed, and train new workforce members, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations, including vision and mission.
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.
Systems architects and senior infrastructure engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Architect | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,764 | $117,765 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $141,000 | Between $87,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a systems architect and a senior infrastructure engineer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Architect | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems architects' and senior infrastructure engineers' demographics:
| Systems Architect | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 11% | 9% |