Check my payPrincipal Systems Administrator salary
What a Principal Systems Administrator (level IC5, Senior Staff / Principal) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle
Most companies pay between $154,500 and $229,000.
The shaded middle is where most companies aim. Anything inside it is normal pay for this level and market.
The full range
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
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Check my paySystems Administrator pay by level
Median base salary, top-tier markets.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Systems AdministratorIC1 Associate / Entry | $75k |
| Systems AdministratorIC2 Mid-level | $103k |
| Senior Systems AdministratorIC3 Senior | $135k |
| Staff Systems AdministratorIC4 Staff / Lead | $165k |
| Principal Systems AdministratorIC5 Senior Staff / Principal | $192k |
| Distinguished Systems AdministratorIC6 Distinguished | $223k |
Related roles at IC5
Questions
How much does a Principal Systems Administrator make?
In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Principal Systems Administrator is $191,500, with most companies paying between $154,500 and $229,000. Pay in other cities, bonus, and equity are in the full range on Benchmarked.
How do I know if I am underpaid?
Pay below the 25th percentile for your level and market is below what most companies target. Check your salary against this range to see your percentile, then use that number in a conversation with your manager.
Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.