Average Linux System Administrator Salary

The top respondents for the job title Linux System Administrator are from the companies Rackspace, US Inc., Raytheon Co. and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). Reported salaries are highest at Unisys Corporation where the average pay is $92,623. Other companies that offer high salaries for this role include Raytheon Co. and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), earning around $89,430 and $71,216, respectively. Viasat, Inc. pays the lowest at around $50,868. Hewlett-Packard Company and Rackspace, US Inc. also pay on the lower end of the scale, paying $60,000 and $62,938, respectively.

Skills in Shell Scripting, VMware ESX and System Administration are correlated to pay that is above average. Skills that pay less than market rate include Apache HTTP Server and Linux.

An entry-level Linux System Administrator with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $57,786 based on 39 salaries. An early career Linux System Administrator with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $64,567 based on 419 salaries. A mid-career Linux System Administrator with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $77,811 based on 344 salaries. An experienced Linux System Administrator with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $83,625 based on 206 salaries. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $92,679.

Employees with Linux System Administrator in their job title in Washington, District of Columbia earn an average of 36.5% more than the national average. These job titles also find higher than average salaries in Austin, Texas (7.9% more). The lowest salaries can be found in Lansing, Michigan (28.5% less), San Antonio, Texas (15.9% less) and Orlando, Florida (14.1% less).