How To Become A Senior Computer Systems Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior computer systems engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Professor David Sanford

The average senior computer systems engineer salary is $92,532. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an electrical engineering major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a senior computer systems engineer. Senior computer systems engineers with a Certified UNIX System Administrator (CUSA) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 18,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Senior Computer Systems Engineer?

Professor David Sanford

Associate Professor an Department Chair (MIS, CS, CYB MGT, IS CYB), Northwood University

Workers like that they are challenged to solve problems and lead technological innovations.
They appreciate the diversity of projects
They enjoy the need for continuous improvement and education
Many see the global impact of their work.
They also desire and appreciate the need for versatile skills
A competitive salary is also an item that employees like

Workers dislike that the work can be stressful
Dealing with tight deadlines and/ or cybersecurity concerns.
This is a positive and a negative: The need to constantly stay up to date with technology can be a bit overwhelming for some.
There may be times of isolation, and
The unexpected system failures can be frustrating as they often require extra hours or the need to be on-call.
The multiple responsibilities and managing repetitive tasks are also issues workers point out in this field.

In short, the workplace offers exciting opportunities but comes with its fair share of pressures and challenges. Different people have different experiences based on their roles and personal preferences.

ScoreSenior Computer Systems EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.2

Avg. Salary $92,532

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.7

Growth Rate 5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 9.90%

Black or African American 8.77%

Hispanic or Latino 12.46%

Unknown 5.07%

White 63.49%

Gender

female 14.75%

male 85.25%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress Level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.7

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior computer systems engineer

Explore senior computer systems engineer education requirements

Most common senior computer systems engineer degrees

Bachelor's

68.6 %

Master's

16.3 %

Associate

10.5 %

Start to develop specific senior computer systems engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Computer System	22.05%
Architecture	9.20%
Linux	8.47%
Cloud	8.32%
System Administration	5.24%

Complete relevant senior computer systems engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior computer systems engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior computer systems engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior computer systems engineer resumes.

Research senior computer systems engineer duties and responsibilities

Lead an effort to convert the Track/Fire simulation from FORTRAN to Ada and rehost from VAX/VMS to UNIX environment.
Manage and support installation of IIS servers hosting internal and external applications.
Evaluate performance issues on mainframe and UNIX systems, recommending improvements to subject matter experts.
Install, configure, and troubleshoot servers, OS systems, storage, and network devices.

Get senior computer systems engineer experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior computer systems engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior computer systems engineer include computer systems engineer, systems administrator team lead and systems engineer.

Prepare your senior computer systems engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior computer systems engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior computer systems engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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Apply for senior computer systems engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a senior computer systems engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average senior computer systems engineer salary

The average Senior Computer Systems Engineer salary in the United States is $92,532 per year or $44 per hour. Senior computer systems engineer salaries range between $68,000 and $124,000 per year.

Average Senior Computer Systems Engineer Salary

$92,532 Yearly

$44.49 hourly