Unix systems administrator vs information technology administrator

The differences between unix systems administrators and information technology 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 unix systems administrator and an information technology administrator. Additionally, a unix systems administrator has an average salary of $87,936, which is higher than the $73,195 average annual salary of an information technology administrator.

The top three skills for a unix systems administrator include production servers, solaris and database. The most important skills for an information technology administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and linux.

Unix systems administrator vs information technology administrator overview

	Unix Systems Administrator	Information Technology Administrator
Yearly salary	$87,936	$73,195
Hourly rate	$42.28	$35.19
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	110,185	159,499
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a unix systems administrator do?

UNIX system administrators install, configure, and maintain the UNIX systems of organizations. The administrators are in charge of the troubleshooting of server errors. They install new system hardware for their respective organizations and respond to the issues raised by the users. It is part of their job to monitor the network's performance. Usually, they are working in an office using UNIX multiuser operating system. They supervise the execution of data conversion projects such as database hardware replacements.

What does an information technology administrator do?

An Information Technology (IT) administrator is an individual responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed. They are required to assess the organization's security programs and run the system for viruses and spyware. IT administrators also extend support to the organization's end-users and train them on desktop applications.

Unix systems administrator vs information technology administrator salary

Unix systems administrators and information technology administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unix Systems Administrator	Information Technology Administrator
Average salary	$87,936	$73,195
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $119,000	Between $50,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	PayPal	Databricks
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between unix systems administrator and information technology administrator education

There are a few differences between a unix systems administrator and an information technology administrator in terms of educational background:

	Unix Systems Administrator	Information Technology Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Unix systems administrator vs information technology administrator demographics

Here are the differences between unix systems administrators' and information technology administrators' demographics:

	Unix Systems Administrator	Information Technology Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.8% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between unix systems administrator and information technology administrator duties and responsibilities

Unix systems administrator example responsibilities.

Manage LUN assignments from Shark/Hitachi SAN through the fiber switches.
Manage system kernel settings to boost performance base on root cause analysis for performance issues.
Manage and maintain local area network (TCP/IP), consisting of 2 NCR 3430 servers and 130+ client workstations.
Help automate server and storage provisioning.
Manage resources for zones using Solaris 10container technology.
Manage AWS services and provide redundancy for internal corporate systems.

Information technology administrator example responsibilities.

Define, document and project manage the implementation and configuration changes to HRIS applications.
Manage the migration from ADP to Lawson software; adapt HRIS to fit organizational needs.
Manage PC trainers and develop high quality internal instructor-le courses.
Manage host peripheral hardware including disk files and space utilization.
Manage and maintain corporate telecommunications and LAN; recommend repairs as needed.
Manage administration for SharePoint websites including account creation or modifying existing user accounts and site settings.

Unix systems administrator vs information technology administrator skills

Common unix systems administrator skills

Production Servers, 8%
Solaris, 5%
Database, 4%
SAN, 4%
System Administration, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

Common information technology administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Linux, 5%
Database, 4%
VMware, 4%
Windows Server, 4%

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Unix Systems Administrator
Unix Systems Administrator vs Information Technology Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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