Windows system administrator vs linux administrator

The differences between windows system administrators and linux 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 windows system administrator and a linux administrator. Additionally, a linux administrator has an average salary of $79,996, which is higher than the $79,845 average annual salary of a windows system administrator.

The top three skills for a windows system administrator include windows server, infrastructure and powershell. The most important skills for a linux administrator are python, windows, and linux servers.

Windows system administrator vs linux administrator overview

	Windows System Administrator	Linux Administrator
Yearly salary	$79,845	$79,996
Hourly rate	$38.39	$38.46
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	94,648	56,604
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a windows system administrator do?

A Windows System Administrator maintains the systems and servers of a Windows operating system. They evaluate and modify the system's performance.

What does a linux administrator do?

A Linux administrator is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of Linux operating systems to support business operations and high-quality deliverables. Linux administrators handle the resolution of Linux network issues, maintaining its stability and ensuring its safety and security from unauthorized access and malware threats. They also conduct regular maintenance to configure the system navigation and infrastructure, running multiple diagnostic tests to identify defects, and recommending strategic procedures for system enhancement. A Linux administrator must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in providing technical support on faulty servers.

Windows system administrator vs linux administrator salary

Windows system administrators and linux administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Windows System Administrator	Linux Administrator
Average salary	$79,845	$79,996
Salary range	Between $60,000 And $104,000	Between $62,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	California	Maryland
Best paying company	Meta	Medline
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between windows system administrator and linux administrator education

There are a few differences between a windows system administrator and a linux administrator in terms of educational background:

	Windows System Administrator	Linux Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Windows system administrator vs linux administrator demographics

Here are the differences between windows system administrators' and linux administrators' demographics:

	Windows System Administrator	Linux Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7%	Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between windows system administrator and linux administrator duties and responsibilities

Windows system administrator example responsibilities.

Manage and configure VPN connections for the users.
Deploy and manage Panasonic PBX and VOIP phone systems and network connectivity.
Manage exchange stores, mailbox provisioning, active sync and monitoring the mailboxes.
Manage data usage, space, security and archival over servers, workstations and NAS machines.
Manage issues with server hardware, networking, web services, database, DNS, clustering, and e-mail.
Manage all OU's under domain at multiple sites across the country through a constant VPN tunnel per client rules.

Linux administrator example responsibilities.

Manage PGP/GPG encryption in FTP/SFTP scripts.
Manage TCP/IP packets and DHCP servers and resolving TCP/IP network access problems for the clients.
Manage entire network infrastructure, switches, firewalls, servers (configuration/installation), patch management, vendor relations.
Configure and manage splunk forwarders.
Develop bash scripts to automate system/build processing.
Work with Zen virtualization to manage virtual Linux operating systems.

Windows system administrator vs linux administrator skills

Common windows system administrator skills

Windows Server, 9%
Infrastructure, 7%
PowerShell, 7%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Linux, 5%
SCCM, 4%

Common linux administrator skills

Python, 7%
Windows, 5%
Linux Servers, 4%
Bash, 4%
Red Hat, 4%
OS, 3%

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Windows System Administrator
Windows System Administrator vs Linux Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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