Linux Salary: Your 2025 Guide

Linux is a versatile operating system (OS) with many applications, including desktop OSes, servers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, network OS applications, and cloud computing systems. Linux is also the main operating system for Apache web servers, the OS for Android smartphones, various databases, and scientific computing uses. Many factors will affect your salary as a Linux professional, including location, job title, industry, experience, and education, particularly given Linux's wide range of applications across different fields. 

Explore these factors and learn about the kinds of salary you can expect to earn as an IT professional working with Linux. 

What is Linux?

Linux is an operating system, like Windows and macOS, that controls all of your computer's hardware and software resources. Unlike Windows and macOS, however, Linux is a free, open-source OS with many different distributions (distros). Each distro is a distinct version of Linux, offering different desktop environments and varying levels of customization. The choice of distro often depends on the user's skill level as a computer user.

Thanks to their open-source nature and many administration methods, Linux systems are often specialized, so companies frequently seek Linux professionals. These experts, who include Linux engineers, collaborate with IT, set up Linux systems, troubleshoot tech, and guide customers in using various products. 

How much do Linux professionals make?

A common job for Linux professionals is that of a Linux systems administrator or Linux administrator. According to five different salary providers, the average salary for a Linux administrator ranges from $79,996 to $112,837. Examine the table below to learn how much Linux professionals make:

Factors that may affect Linux salary

With all of the different professions that use the Linux OS, many different factors affect your salary, such as:

• Job title

• Education

• Experience

• Industry

• Location

Discover the range of salaries below for Linux professionals across each factor. 

Job title

Since Linux touches many different career paths, such as networking, cloud computing, software development, and server and database usage, you can have many different job titles, depending on your specialty. Below is the salary for some of the various job titles for Linux professionals:

(All salary information is the average annual base pay according to Glassdoor as of January 2025.)

• Linux administrator: $105,000 

• Linux Cloud engineer: $113,000

• Linux engineer: $113,000

• Linux developer: $102,500

• Linux server administrator: $94,000

• Linux software engineer: $129,000 

• Database administrator: $108,000

• Technical support engineer: $85,000

• Network engineer: $99,500

• Cybersecurity analyst: $104,500 

Education

Your education level can affect your salary as a Linux administrator. The table below categorizes the percentage of Linux administrators at different education levels and the average annual salary for each one, according to Zippia [6]:

Experience

Your experience as a Linux administrator can affect your salary as you build more skills and advance your career. Learn about the different earning potential as a Linux administrator at varying levels of experience, according to Glassdoor [1]:

• 0–1 year: $76,128

• 1–3 years: $84,892 

• 4–6 years: $95,942

• 7–9 years: $102,088

• 10–14 years: $111,519

• 15+ years: $123,059

Industry

The industry you work in as a Linux professional also contributes to your earning potential. Below are different salaries for a range of industries listed on Glassdoor [1]:

• Legal: $112,613 

• Management and consulting: $116,374

• Personal consumer services: $96,941

• Financial services: $118,112

• Health care: $121,411 

• Information technology: $105,511

• Media and communication: $119,522

• Telecommunications: $101,922 

Location

Location is another factor that affects the salary of Linux professionals. It can vary from state to state and city to city. The average annual salary for Linux system administrators in 10 states, according to Talent.com, includes [4]:

1. Maryland: $143,320

2. Virginia: $130,000

3. New Hampshire: $121,055

4. Mississippi: $120,510

5. California: $118,890

6. Hawaii: $118,625

7. Colorado: $117,691

8. Massachusetts: $117,500

9. Delaware: $117,000

10. Georgia: $114,400

The average annual salary for Linux system administrators in twenty cities, according to Zippia, is as follows [2]:

1. Palo Alto, CA: $93,458

2. Baltimore, MD: $90,400

3. Arlington, VA: $86,916

4. Redmond, WA: $85,916

5. Newark, DE: $84,747

6. Charlotte, NC: $83,740

7. Middletown, NJ: $82,401

8. Phoenix, AZ: $82,259

9. Columbus, OH: $82,180

10. Philadelphia, PA: $80,803

11. New York, NY: $80,341

12. Washington, DC: $79,503

13. Indianapolis, IN: $79,402

14. Mundelein, IL: $78,686

15. Alpharetta, GA: $76,874

16. San Antonio, TX: $76,721

17. Boulder, CO: $74,155

18. Columbia, SC: $72,796

19. Charleston, WV: $72,068

20. Pensacola, FL: $71,607

Certifications

By building your skills as a Linux professional, you can earn different certifications to demonstrate your abilities to employers. This can also build your earning potential. The average annual salary for five popular Linux certifications, according to Payscale, is:

• CompTIA Linux+: $89,000 [7]

• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE): $118,000 [8]

• Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA): $104,000 [9]

• LPI Linux Certification—Level 1: $81,000 [10]

• LPI Linux Certification—Level 3: $114,000 [11]

In-demand skills for Linux professionals

With the constant shift in workforce needs, Linux professionals can upskill in growing fields like machine learning, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. Cloud computing and infrastructure are in-demand fields that require the expertise of Linux professionals to administer and oversee these systems. 

The Linux Foundation’s 2024 State of Tech Talent Report reveals that knowledge of cloud, containers, virtualization, DevOps, cybersecurity, AI, ML, and data analytics are among the highest priorities for organizations regarding upskilling. Knowledge of the Linux kernel is also important, with 23 percent of respondents indicating their desire to hire new staff. Additionally, 50 percent want to upskill current staff, and 27 percent want to hire consultants [12]. 

Build skills to become a Linux professional with Coursera

Various factors, such as job title, education, experience, industry, and location, can affect your earning potential working as a Linux professional in IT. To start your career as an in-demand IT professional, try the Google IT Support Professional Certificate or the IBM IT Support Professional Certificate, both on Coursera. If you want to learn more about Linux, try the Linux and Private Cloud Administration on IBM Power Systems Specialization and Coursera.