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The differences between systems managers and lead systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a systems manager, becoming a lead systems engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a lead systems engineer has an average salary of $119,705, which is higher than the $107,156 average annual salary of a systems manager.
The top three skills for a systems manager include customer service, project management and patients. The most important skills for a lead systems engineer are systems engineering, architecture, and infrastructure.
| Systems Manager | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,156 | $119,705 |
| Hourly rate | $51.52 | $57.55 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 145,551 | 186,392 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 2 |
A systems manager is responsible for monitoring the operations of the information technology department, evaluating staff performance, developing strategic procedures to maximize productivity, and identifying business opportunities that would generate more revenues and profitability for the company. Systems managers inspect company networks to ensure the efficiency of the technology systems, conducting regular diagnostic tests, and installing upgrades to boost optimization. A systems manager must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command in programming languages and system codes to maintain the security of the company's database.
A lead systems engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the systems infrastructure and improving the stability of the operating systems to support business operations. Lead systems engineers install and upgrade software applications and ensure that the technical strategies meet the quality standards and business requirements. They also enhance the performance of the existing systems, configuring features for optimization. A lead systems engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in supporting the end-users with technical failures and identifying accurate resolutions.
Systems managers and lead systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Manager | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,156 | $119,705 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $152,000 | Between $90,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a systems manager and a lead systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Manager | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between systems managers' and lead systems engineers' demographics:
| Systems Manager | Lead Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 12.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |