Systems Engineer
Career Area: Information Technology
Occupation Group: Network and Systems Engineering
Salary
Percentile wages tell how much a certain percentage of an overall population in a geographic area or within a given industry or field makes. The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
An example would be the 25th percentile, 25 percent of workers employed in that occupation earn less and 75 percent earn more than the estimated wage value. At the 75th percentile, 75 percent of workers employed in that occupation earn less and 25 percent earn more than the estimated wage value.
A typical Systems Engineer earns the following wages (national and state):
State
The average salary in North Carolina for those pursuing this career is $103,087
National
The average salary in the United States for those pursuing this career is $105,145
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
Creates computer and data communication networks for companies and organizations. Plans and designs layout for a network, determines the hardware needed and placement of computers, servers, cables and routers; determines data storage and system capacity, speed and software needed for a system.
Employment Trends
The job demand and job growth statistics shown here were derived from job posts over the past year. Expected job growth projections are extrapolated from year-over-year job post listing history.
Job demand and job growth is expected at the following rates:
| Location | Growth | |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 3296 | +10.7% |
| Nationwide | 121583 | +10.2% |
Skills
A professional in this position typically utilizes the following skills in the course of everyday work in this exciting and challenging field:
Baseline Skills
The following are baseline skills every Systems Engineer is expected to have in order to experience success in this field:
- Communication Skills: The ability to convey information to another effectively and efficiently.
- Teamwork / Collaboration: Experience working in collaborative efforts with a team to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
- Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting or dpanneuring is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system.
- Planning: Working experience with the process of thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve desired goals.
- Problem Solving: Problem solving consists of using generic or ad hoc methods, in an orderly manner, for finding solutions to problems.
Specialized Skills
These skills are specific to working in this career:
- Systems Engineering: Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that focuses on how to design and manage complex systems over their life cycles.
- Python: Python is a widely used high-level programming language for general-purpose programming, created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991.
- Linux: Linux (pronounced LIN-ks or, less frequently, LYN-ks) is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and distribution.
- Software Development: Software development is the process of computer programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications and frameworks resulting in a software product.
- Java: Java is a set of computer software and specifications developed by Sun Microsystems, which was later acquired by the Oracle Corporation, that provides a system for developing application software and deploying it in a cross-platform computing environment.
Distinguishing Skills
Any Systems Engineer that possesses the following skills will stand out against the competition:
- Windows Server: Windows Server is a brand name for a group of server operating systems released by Microsoft.
- Hardware and Software Configuration: Hardware configuration references the details and system resource settings allotted for a specific device, whereas software configuration management (SCM or S/W CM) is the task of tracking and controlling changes in the software.
- Hardware Experience: Experience developing hardware that provides a user-friendly experience, allowing the user to interact with the software or hardware in a natural and intuitive way.
- Software Architecture: Software architecture refers to the high level structures of a software system, the discipline of creating such structures, and the documentation of these structures.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS): Working experience with one or many of Amazon's cloud computing platforms. These platforms allows subscribers to have at their disposal a full-fledged virtual cluster of computers, available all the time, through the Internet.
Experience
This position typically requires the following level of experience. The numbers presented in the pie charts below were derived from actual job posts over the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Experience Required | % |
| 0 to 2 years | 11% |
| 3 to 5 years | 42% |
| 6 to 8 years | 23% |
Many of the programs offered through NC State are designed for working professionals who need additional credentials to enhance existing work experience.
Students who do not have the expected level of experience may wish to look into internship and employment opportunities.
Common Job Titles
It is possible to find work in this field in positions commonly listed as the following job titles:
- Systems Engineer
- Senior Systems Engineer
- Infrastructure Engineer
- Cloud Security Engineer
- Java Architect
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