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 $87,000 and $70,000, respectively. Viasat, Inc. pays the lowest at around $56,500. Rackspace, US Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Company also pay on the lower end of the scale, paying $59,128 and $66,000, respectively.

Skills in Shell Scripting and VMware ESX are correlated to pay that is above average. Skills that pay less than market rate include Network Management / Administration, 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 $56,900 based on 148 salaries. An early career Linux System Administrator with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $63,835 based on 568 salaries. A mid-career Linux System Administrator with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $75,304 based on 398 salaries. An experienced Linux System Administrator with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $82,747 based on 278 salaries. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $92,080.

Employees with Linux System Administrator in their job title in Washington, District of Columbia earn an average of 30.4% more than the national average. These job titles also find higher than average salaries in Austin, Texas (11.8% more) and Houston, Texas (0.4% more). The lowest salaries can be found in Lansing, Michigan (19.3% less), San Antonio, Texas (14.7% less) and Chicago, Illinois (2.6% less).