Unix systems administrator vs junior systems administrator

The differences between unix systems administrators and junior 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 unix systems administrator and a junior systems administrator. Additionally, a unix systems administrator has an average salary of $87,936, which is higher than the $62,225 average annual salary of a junior systems administrator.

The top three skills for a unix systems administrator include production servers, solaris and database. The most important skills for a junior systems administrator are windows server, troubleshoot, and technical support.

Unix systems administrator vs junior systems administrator overview

	Unix Systems Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Yearly salary	$87,936	$62,225
Hourly rate	$42.28	$29.92
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	110,185	154,134
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
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 a junior systems administrator do?

A junior systems administrator is primarily responsible for handling and maintaining systems for users while under the supervision of a more experienced systems administrator. Their responsibilities often revolve around assisting senior administrators, troubleshooting support, providing installations and configurations, and handling inquiries and concerns, providing them with corrective measures. Aside from support tasks, one may also have administrative duties such as producing reports and presentations, managing schedules, and maintaining accurate data of all transactions. Furthermore, it is essential to adhere to all the policies and regulations of the company.

Unix systems administrator vs junior systems administrator salary

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

	Unix Systems Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Average salary	$87,936	$62,225
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $119,000	Between $51,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	PayPal	Jacobs Engineering Group
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between unix systems administrator and junior systems administrator education

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

	Unix Systems Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	University of Pennsylvania

Unix systems administrator vs junior systems administrator demographics

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

	Unix Systems Administrator	Junior Systems Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%	Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6%
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, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 12.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between unix systems administrator and junior systems 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.

Junior systems administrator example responsibilities.

Manage Linux servers, running primarily CentOS.
Manage customer accounts and cases in Salesforce.
Load and manage customer provide encryption files.
Create, run and manage server back-ups monthly.
Develop PowerShell scripts to revamp and automate server build process.
Maintain and manage windows 2012 R2 in a virtual environment.

Unix systems administrator vs junior systems administrator skills

Common unix systems administrator skills

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

Common junior systems administrator skills

Windows Server, 7%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Technical Support, 5%
System Administration, 5%
Switches, 5%
OS, 4%

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Unix Systems Administrator vs Junior Systems Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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