How to hire a linux systems administrator

How to hire a linux systems administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step linux systems administrator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a linux systems administrator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new linux systems administrator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a linux systems administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the linux systems administrator you need to hire. Certain linux systems administrator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect linux systems administrator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of linux systems administrator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Linux Systems Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Linux Systems Administrator	Computer networks are critical parts of almost every organization. Network and computer systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks.	$30-51
   Systems Engineer	Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs... Show more	$29-52
   Network/Server Administrator	A Network Administrator ensures an organizations' network is operational and up to date. They solve problems that arise within computer networks, maintaining computer networks, interacting with clients, and consulting with them to determine their system requirements... Show more	$27-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Windows
   • Red Hat
   • Troubleshoot
   • OS
   • System Administration
   • Bash
   • Linux Servers
   • Centos
   • AWS
   • DNS
   • RHEL
   • LDAP
   • SAN

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create and manage FTP web interface to manage and send files to customer FTP site using PHP.
   • Manage F5, JVM & JBOSS, JBOSS EWS.
   • Configure and manage NetApp storage array.
   • Manage NetApp storage devices and user administration.
   • Manage systems volume using SVM, LVM, NAS, VERITAS volume manager.
   • Manage Blackduck servers - configure on 8 quad cpu and 32gB memory and 16TB storage.

   More linux systems administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your linux systems administrator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A linux systems administrator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a linux systems administrator in Missouri may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level linux systems administrator usually earns less than a senior-level linux systems administrator. Additionally, a linux systems administrator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average linux systems administrator salary

   $83,032yearly

   $39.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level linux systems administrator salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average linux systems administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$100,739	$48
   2	Washington	$99,648	$48
   3	District of Columbia	$93,037	$45
   4	Pennsylvania	$90,473	$44
   5	Massachusetts	$88,651	$43
   6	New Jersey	$85,516	$41
   7	Maryland	$85,432	$41
   8	Virginia	$83,916	$40
   9	New York	$83,372	$40
   10	Arizona	$81,752	$39
   11	Illinois	$80,930	$39
   12	Alabama	$78,547	$38
   13	Texas	$78,235	$38
   14	Georgia	$76,563	$37
   15	Colorado	$76,242	$37
   16	Florida	$74,898	$36
   17	New Mexico	$71,684	$34
   18	Missouri	$71,608	$34
   19	Nebraska	$70,223	$34

   Average linux systems administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$135,827	$65.30	177
   2	NVIDIA	$123,775	$59.51	41
   3	Sony Interactive Entertainment America	$121,884	$58.60
   4	Walmart	$120,195	$57.79	33
   5	Anaplan	$118,544	$56.99
   6	Open Systems Technologies	$118,122	$56.79	4
   7	Citi	$116,916	$56.21	1
   8	Morgan Stanley	$109,876	$52.83	15
   9	TEKsystems	$109,052	$52.43	83
   10	AT&T	$107,465	$51.67	61
   11	Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat Corporation	$107,182	$51.53	22
   12	J. Morrissey & Company	$106,702	$51.30
   13	UT Health East Texas	$106,391	$51.15
   14	Florida Power and Light	$106,368	$51.14	10
   15	Adobe	$106,303	$51.11	2
   16	Envision Healthcare	$104,687	$50.33
   17	University of Washington	$104,665	$50.32	1
   18	ServiceNow	$103,643	$49.83	11
   19	Rotech Healthcare	$102,864	$49.45	1
   20	KLA	$102,437	$49.25	16

4. Writing a linux systems administrator job description

   A good linux systems administrator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a linux systems administrator job description:

   Linux systems administrator job description example

   Vision IT is a fast growing, woman-owned business that's has supported Federal Government's IT initiatives for two decades. We work side-by-side with our Federal clients as a trusted, long-term partner to offer innovative advice and leadership to solve their most pressing and complex problems. We orchestrate people, strategies, technologies and best-of-breed business processes.
   
   Vision IT provides strategic consulting services to meet mission IT requirements for our government clients. Vision IT is hiring a full-time UNIX/LINUX Senior System Administrator to support the Regional Cyber Center CONUS (RCC-C).
   
   The Unix/Linux SME provides services in support of the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) RCC-C. You will provide recommendations to the Government pertaining to industry vision and strategic direction regarding enterprise system design, system implementation, system optimization, system enhancement, systems management processes and technology insertion of network and NetOps capabilities. You will assist the Government in defining and designing system specifications and standards, analyzing system input/output processes, and working parameters for hardware/software compatibility and interoperability in support of system capabilities. Provide planning, design, development, engineering, integration, and technical and operational support to RCC-C projects. Applies new solutions through research and collaboration with team and determines course of action for new application initiatives. Implements new software solutions as required by the business. The core infrastructure technology duties include:
   
   RedHat Linux/ Unix Systems Administrator-Intermediate supporting a 24x7 enterprise support organization. This position will consist of daily maintenance of RedHat Linux systems. This will include but may not be limited to:
   
   Installing, configuring, and maintaining servers using the RedHat Linux operating system based on internally developed processes.
   
   Monitoring log files, performance issues, and the production environment for mission critical systems
   Participate in an on-call rotation for UNIX/Linux support issues Follow standard operating procedures to ensure the security posture of the environment Engaging in continuous learning to stay abreast on new and emerging technologies that relate to the Linux environment Work independently as well as a team member Ability to set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines Ensure compliance with established standards, policies, and configuration guidelines Maintain a cooperative working relationship with those contacted during the course of the work day Education BA/BS or equivalent experience Minimum Qualifications/Certifications HS + 4 yrs. similar experience, AA/AS + 2 years or BA/BS + 0 Active in scope SECRET clearance or the ability to obtain Interim SECRET eligibility An IAT II certification (CCNA-Security, CND, CySA+, GICSP, GSEC, Security+ CE, or SSCP) is required at start date RHCSA or similar Linux professional certificate required IAW 8570 Baseline Certification requirements document within 180 days of hire. Ability to perform on-call and after duty hours as needed An ability to communicate effectively both orally and in a written form with users and office staff Work independently and within a team structure An ability to set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines Basic knowledge of Unix OS command line environment. Preferred Qaulifications: Server Administration experience Familiar with the UNIX environment VI Editor experience Vision IT provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Vision IT complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. Vision IT expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Vision IT's employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find linux systems administrators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your linux systems administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit linux systems administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with linux systems administrator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with linux systems administrator applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new linux systems administrator

   Once you've decided on a perfect linux systems administrator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new linux systems administrator. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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