What is the Difference Between a Programmer and a System Administrator?
So, who is a system administrator? Usually they are people who independently learn to work with software, computers, servers, various computer equipment and networks. Higher education in such people is not that rare, but it is not common. Admins perform such work as control and maintenance of network work, network security, including information security, administration of mini-PBX, creation of optimum software. A system administrator must go into all the nuances of such work, which is why employers are often reluctant to hire young people who have just graduated or are recently engaged in system administration. Considerable experience is required for the normal and stable functioning of the IT-sphere of the enterprise. And those admins, who have been working in this area for a long time, are highly valued, so they get quite a good salary.
A programmer is a completely different story. He knows one or more programming languages, has a higher education, is involved in the design, production of software, develops software and utilities, through which ordinary users significantly simplify their lives. If we talk about who is more important – the programmer or the system administrator, there is no simple answer. Each of them is valuable in its own way, performs certain tasks and can work professionally in its own direction. So, if there is no certain program, it is not possible to work as a system administrator. If there is a program, but it does not meet the basic requirements of the enterprise, then there is a big field of work for the programmer.
By the way, the programmer and the system administrator – this is not a complete list. There are also specialists such as technical support engineers. These are people who perform work on the configuration of user computers, installing and configuring the software, various applications. Such functions are similar to those which have admins and quite often such specialists turn out quite good system administrators. Often engineers begin to carry out the work that falls within the scope of the system administrator, and the company’s management trusts such specialists more. And this confidence in their own abilities and possible career growth.