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Manager, Systems Administration salary

What a Manager, Systems Administration (level M3, Manager) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.

Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026

Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle

$164,500

Most companies pay between $135,000 and $194,500.

Median $165k $135k25th$195k75th

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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Systems Administrator pay by level

Median base salary, top-tier markets.

TitleMedian base
Associate Manager, Systems AdministrationM2 Associate Manager$142k
Manager, Systems AdministrationM3 Manager$165k
Senior Manager, Systems AdministrationM4 Senior Manager$192k
Director, Systems AdministrationM5 Director$227k
Senior Director, Systems AdministrationM6 Senior Director$257k
VP, Systems AdministrationE1 Vice President$297k

All Systems Administrator levels

Related roles at M3

Questions

How much does a Manager, Systems Administration make?

In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Manager, Systems Administration is $164,500, with most companies paying between $135,000 and $194,500. 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.