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The differences between systems software specialists and systems administrators 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 software specialist and a systems administrator. Additionally, a systems software specialist has an average salary of $98,081, which is higher than the $77,156 average annual salary of a systems administrator.
The top three skills for a systems software specialist include python, system software and linux. The most important skills for a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.
| Systems Software Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $98,081 | $77,156 |
| Hourly rate | $47.15 | $37.09 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 90,734 | 134,500 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Systems software specialists and systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Software Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Average salary | $98,081 | $77,156 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $126,000 | Between $59,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a systems software specialist and a systems administrator in terms of educational background:
| Systems Software Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between systems software specialists' and systems administrators' demographics:
| Systems Software Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |