What
is systems engineer salary?
Some
companies treat “systems engineer” and “systems administrator” almost
interchangeably, but there are significant differences between the two
positions. In broadest terms, systems engineers must design and implement a
company’s system (comprising the network, servers, devices, etc.), whereas
systems administrators are largely charged with keeping everything running.
To
frame it another way, system
administration is a very reactive role, with sysadmins
constantly monitoring networks for issues. Systems engineers, on the other
hand, can build a system that anticipates users’ needs (and potential problems).
In some instances, they must integrate existing technology stacks (e.g.,
following the merger of two companies), and prototype different aspects of the
network before it goes “live.”
An
educational path for an engineer with systems engineer
salary focused systems usually begins with a bachelor's or master's degree
in computer science, information systems, and engineering. As system engineers
gain experience, they will learn the tools and techniques needed to manage
systems in scope - for example, a senior system engineer (i.e., System Engineer
III) will not only need experience in designing and implementing the overall
system software architecture, but must have tactical knowledge of
virtualization, containers, system design tools, languages, and analytics. (See
example CV for an idea of how to present your experience.)
In
other words, it’s a complicated job, with a salary to match. We analyzed Dice’s
data and came up with the following salaries for systems engineers. Advancing
in this role translates into a significant pay bump: systems engineers III make
nearly $10,000 more than less-experienced colleagues, and that’s before you
consider other perks and benefits such as equity and increased vacation time.
