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

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

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Ariful Azad Ph.D.

A senior information system engineer is actively involved in managing computer systems and network systems for a company to ensure their optimal performance. You are required to study and understand the computer system and effectively communicate systems requirements to staff and executives. Your work also includes overseeing the development and integration of new technologies. The system information system engineers work with the rest of the engineering and software teams to address complexities and network issues. You also test run new software and tools to ensure compliance with operational requirements. Your work may also include overseeing the preparation of proper documentation and product guides for end-users.

You should possess good analytical, communication, and management skills to fill this role. A senior information systems manager is a problem solver. Besides, you must have a bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or any other related field. Additional certifications and degrees will be of advantage. Years of experience as a system engineer or system administrator are also quite valuable for this role. The average annual salary for this position is about $107,706.

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

Dr. Ariful Azad Ph.D.

Director of Graduate Studies for the Dept. of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Assistant Professor of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University Bloomington

Look for a job that you would enjoy doing, even if it takes some time to find such a position. Internships are great to explore various options.

ScoreSenior Information Systems EngineerUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $113,965

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.7

Growth Rate 5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 10.84%

Black or African American 9.05%

Hispanic or Latino 12.73%

Unknown 5.10%

White 61.97%

Gender

female 12.74%

male 87.26%

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 information systems engineer

Explore senior information systems engineer education requirements

Most common senior information systems engineer degrees

Bachelor's

64.3 %

Associate

17.5 %

Master's

15.6 %

Start to develop specific senior information systems engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
NIST	7.79%
Linux	5.49%
DOD	5.43%
Cloud	4.99%
SAN	3.95%

Complete relevant senior information systems engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior information 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 information systems engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior information systems engineer resumes.

Research senior information systems engineer duties and responsibilities

Lead data centralization and migration project, as well as multiple OS upgrades.
Manage and develop PKI enable solutions that comply with security requirements, policies, and standards.
Manage load sharing facility on Unix servers, with 45 nodes and more than 2000 farm servers.
Work with account managers to plan, develop, deploy, and manage new and existing infrastructure to client sites.

Get senior information systems engineer experience

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

Prepare your senior information systems engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior information 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 information systems engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Senior Information Systems Engineer Resume templates

Build a professional Senior Information Systems Engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Senior Information Systems Engineer resume.

Apply for senior information systems engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a senior information 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 information systems engineer salary

The average Senior Information Systems Engineer salary in the United States is $113,965 per year or $55 per hour. Senior information systems engineer salaries range between $80,000 and $161,000 per year.

Average Senior Information Systems Engineer Salary

$113,965 Yearly

$54.79 hourly

How do senior information systems engineers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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Senior Information Systems Engineer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

Great Pay and Cyber Security Specialism

Cons

Cost Of the Exam ....its too Expensive