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The differences between systems managers and operations system administrators 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 an operations system administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a systems manager has an average salary of $107,156, which is higher than the $76,891 average annual salary of an operations system administrator.
The top three skills for a systems manager include customer service, project management and patients. The most important skills for an operations system administrator are technical support, linux, and customer service.
| Systems Manager | Operations System Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $107,156 | $76,891 |
| Hourly rate | $51.52 | $36.97 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 145,551 | 173,494 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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.
In the information technology industry, an Operations System Administrator is responsible for overseeing and maintaining computer systems, including software, hardware, and applications. They are responsible for supervising staff, spearheading installations and repairs, troubleshooting problems, diagnosing and resolving technical issues and concerns, and ensuring data security and safety by implementing back-ups, firewalls, and other protocols. Moreover, as an operations system administrator, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals while implementing standards and regulations to maintain the smooth flow of operations.
Systems managers and operations system administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Manager | Operations System Administrator | |
| Average salary | $107,156 | $76,891 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $152,000 | Between $59,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a systems manager and an operations system administrator in terms of educational background:
| Systems Manager | Operations System Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems managers' and operations system administrators' demographics:
| Systems Manager | Operations System Administrator | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |