Salary increases for system administrators tend to be larger than those in other jobs, usually to keep someone from leaving for greener pastures. The increase in average salary from 1997 to 1998 was 6 percent. Salary disparities between men and women are significantly less in system administration than other fields. In fact, the 1998 survey referenced here indicates women made about 15 percent more than men. However, that could be attributed to more men coming into the field than women.
System administration tends to attract more women than other technical and computing fields.
Sixteen percent of system administrators are women. Some system administrators prefer consulting or contracting because it provides greater variety and flexibility. System administrators who are independent consultants tend to be specialists and make significantly more money than those who work for a firm and are contracted out. As with most other computing contract employment, those who work for contract firms tend to make slightly more money than those who are directly employed. In this respect, system administration is similar to other technical fields.