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The differences between systems engineers and systems support 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 systems engineer and a systems support engineer. Additionally, a systems engineer has an average salary of $82,834, which is higher than the $82,561 average annual salary of a systems support engineer.
The top three skills for a systems engineer include python, linux and C++. The most important skills for a systems support engineer are linux, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Systems Engineer | Systems Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,834 | $82,561 |
| Hourly rate | $39.82 | $39.69 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 145,936 | 182,434 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Systems support engineers are information technology professionals who are responsible for building and maintaining the IT infrastructure of an organization. They are required to provide network administration and technical support to identify complex problem issues and come up with solutions to solve them. They must assist the system support engineers in accomplishing any projects they are working with. They must troubleshoot servers, personal computers, and peripheral equipment while liaising with their customers. They must also create and maintain user accounts and implement group policy management through an active directory.
Systems engineers and systems support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Engineer | Systems Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,834 | $82,561 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $109,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a systems engineer and a systems support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Engineer | Systems Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems engineers' and systems support engineers' demographics:
| Systems Engineer | Systems Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |