System administrator teamwork: Evidence from the SAGE salary survey

Abstract

System administrators (sysadmins) are a critical population of computer users: they use a wide variety of administration tools to maintain the computer infrastructure on which modern society depends. The design of appropriate administration tools relies on accurate information about sysadmins and their work, yet studies to date collecting this information have been qualitative. In this paper I examine a quantitative source of information about system administrators: the annual SAGE salary survey. The primary focus of the survey is collecting salary and benefits information, so that administrators can compare their compensation with others in similar circumstances. In this poster I do further analysis of the SAGE data from 2002 through 2006, investigating correlations that were not part of the SAGE reports. In particular, I examine evidence for teamwork among administrators, and find evidence for sysadmins working in teams in companies of all sizes. Copyright 2008 ACM.