Linux Popularity Sparks Salary Jump

Companies adopting the free, open-source Linux operating system are having trouble finding developers and system administrators skilled in Linux, according to a new survey to be released next week.

The tight job market has driven up salaries and bonuses and prompted companies to increase their training and outreach to meet recruiting needs, the survey finds. The median salary for Linux-skilled technologists rose 5% to $84,000 last year with median bonuses at $5,000, according to Dice Holdings Inc., a technology jobs board that conducted the survey with The Linux Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group.

“It’s hard to find talented people because there’s extremely high demand,” says Dustin Larmeir, a support manager at Dallas-based FireHost Inc., a provider of secure public cloud hosting. The company, which has openings for seven Linux system administrators, is scouring all of the U.S. to find skilled hires, Larmeir says...