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The differences between systems managers and systems administrator leads 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 systems administrator lead takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a systems manager has an average salary of $107,156, which is higher than the $99,956 average annual salary of a systems administrator lead.
The top three skills for a systems manager include customer service, project management and patients. The most important skills for a systems administrator lead are linux, project management, and windows server.
| Systems Manager | Systems Administrator Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $107,156 | $99,956 |
| Hourly rate | $51.52 | $48.06 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 145,551 | 132,285 |
| 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.
A systems administrator lead is responsible for planning, designing, and implementing procedures for critical enterprise systems. Typical duties of systems administrators include managing the day-to-day operations of a company's computer and network systems, developing new application and system implementation plans, and establishing guidelines for installing and managing the organization's computer operating systems. In addition, you are expected to ensure the security of computer systems by preventing unauthorized use, user abuse, and acts of nature.
Systems managers and systems administrator leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Manager | Systems Administrator Lead | |
| Average salary | $107,156 | $99,956 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $152,000 | Between $77,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Kabam |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a systems manager and a systems administrator lead in terms of educational background:
| Systems Manager | Systems Administrator Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems managers' and systems administrator leads' demographics:
| Systems Manager | Systems Administrator Lead | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% |
| 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, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.7% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |