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The average salary for a Unix Systems Engineer in the United States is approximately $112,085 annually, equating to about $54 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry. For instance, more experienced engineers can command higher salaries, especially in tech-centric states.
Some of the highest paying states for Unix Systems Engineers include:
In these locations, engineers often find competitive compensation packages that reflect the demand for their skills.
Unix Systems Engineers are vital in sectors like finance, technology, and healthcare. The industries offering the highest salaries include:
By choosing a career in these fields, you can enhance your earning potential and job satisfaction. Understanding the salary landscape is crucial for making informed career decisions.
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The highest-paying states for unix systems engineers are Oregon, Washington, and California. The lowest average unix systems engineer salary states are North Dakota, Montana, and Tennessee.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $131,496 | $63.22 |
| 2 | Washington | $122,408 | $58.85 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $121,194 | $58.27 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $116,299 | $55.91 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $121,281 | $58.31 |
| 6 | California | $121,558 | $58.44 |
| 7 | Delaware | $117,497 | $56.49 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $115,610 | $55.58 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $118,022 | $56.74 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $119,351 | $57.38 |
| 11 | Utah | $106,797 | $51.34 |
| 12 | Nevada | $113,725 | $54.68 |
| 13 | Idaho | $111,196 | $53.46 |
| 14 | Alabama | $104,194 | $50.09 |
| 15 | Maine | $111,986 | $53.84 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $110,610 | $53.18 |
| 17 | Vermont | $105,288 | $50.62 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $108,761 | $52.29 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $102,736 | $49.39 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $104,414 | $50.20 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $102,456 | $49.26 |
| 22 | Arizona | $102,884 | $49.46 |
| 23 | Virginia | $102,491 | $49.27 |
| 24 | Maryland | $103,350 | $49.69 |
| 25 | Georgia | $104,046 | $50.02 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $104,723 | $50.35 |
| 27 | Ohio | $101,903 | $48.99 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $104,448 | $50.22 |
| 29 | Texas | $99,009 | $47.60 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $102,636 | $49.34 |
| 31 | Alaska | $96,566 | $46.43 |
| 32 | Michigan | $95,289 | $45.81 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $95,694 | $46.01 |
| 34 | Iowa | $97,795 | $47.02 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $97,745 | $46.99 |
| 36 | New York | $99,150 | $47.67 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $94,855 | $45.60 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $98,102 | $47.16 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $97,595 | $46.92 |
| 40 | Colorado | $91,146 | $43.82 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $94,862 | $45.61 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $90,102 | $43.32 |
| 43 | Illinois | $94,076 | $45.23 |
| 44 | Indiana | $94,202 | $45.29 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $90,876 | $43.69 |
| 46 | Florida | $87,825 | $42.22 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $92,902 | $44.66 |
| 48 | Kansas | $91,508 | $43.99 |
| 49 | Montana | $90,730 | $43.62 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $90,685 | $43.60 |
| 51 | Missouri | $83,318 | $40.06 |
The highest-paying cities for unix systems engineers are San Francisco, CA, Springfield, MA, and Harrisburg, PA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $133,584 | $64.22 |
| 2 | Springfield, MA | $121,446 | $58.39 |
| 3 | Harrisburg, PA | $120,927 | $58.14 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $119,384 | $57.40 |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $118,228 | $56.84 |
| 6 | Dover, DE | $117,399 | $56.44 |
| 7 | Concord, NH | $115,904 | $55.72 |
| 8 | Providence, RI | $115,652 | $55.60 |
| 9 | Charleston, WV | $109,327 | $52.56 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $105,928 | $50.93 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $104,030 | $50.01 |
| 12 | Montgomery, AL | $103,992 | $50.00 |
| 13 | Madison, WI | $103,565 | $49.79 |
| 14 | Annapolis, MD | $103,493 | $49.76 |
| 15 | Scottsdale, AZ | $103,172 | $49.60 |
| 16 | Baton Rouge, LA | $102,938 | $49.49 |
| 17 | Richmond, VA | $102,369 | $49.22 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $101,357 | $48.73 |
| 19 | Dubuque, IA | $100,065 | $48.11 |
| 20 | Fort Worth, TX | $99,836 | $48.00 |
A unix systems engineer's salary ranges from $84,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $148,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $148,000 | $12,333 | $71 |
| 75th Percentile | $130,000 | $10,833 | $63 |
| Average | $112,085 | $9,340 | $54 |
| 25th Percentile | $96,000 | $8,000 | $46 |
| 10th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
The highest paying types of unix systems engineers are principal systems engineer, lead systems engineer, and senior unix systems administrator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux Administrator | $79,996 | $6,666 | $38.46 | 56,604 |
| Systems Administrator Lead | $99,956 | $8,330 | $48.06 | 132,285 |
| Systems Administrator | $77,156 | $6,430 | $37.09 | 134,500 |
| Network Engineer | $83,557 | $6,963 | $40.17 | 72,346 |
| Systems Operator | $38,182 | $3,182 | $18.36 | 91,037 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
Top companies hiring unix systems engineers now:
Unix systems engineer salaries at Apple and eBay are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average unix systems engineer salary at companies like Michaels Stores and GM Financial are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $150,582 | $72.40 |
| 2 | eBay | $146,139 | $70.26 |
| 3 | Michaels Stores | $132,929 | $63.91 |
| 4 | GM Financial | $128,002 | $61.54 |
| 5 | Lowe's Companies | $124,659 | $59.93 |
| 6 | Kroger | $120,521 | $57.94 |
| 7 | Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co | $119,814 | $57.60 |
| 8 | W. R. Berkley | $119,609 | $57.50 |
| 9 | TriNet | $116,106 | $55.82 |
| 10 | Salesforce | $116,084 | $55.81 |
| 11 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $114,211 | $54.91 |
| 12 | CVS Health | $113,752 | $54.69 |
| 13 | Comtech | $113,237 | $54.44 |
| 14 | Pinnacle Technical Resources | $111,800 | $53.75 |
| 15 | Robert Half | $110,189 | $52.98 |
| 16 | GrowthZone | $109,031 | $52.42 |
| 17 | Spire | $108,495 | $52.16 |
| 18 | BERKLEY TECHNOLOGY SERVICES | $107,291 | $51.58 |
| 19 | Prosum | $106,656 | $51.28 |
| 20 | Peraton | $103,304 | $49.67 |
The average unix systems engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $140,577 | $67.59 |
| 2 | Utilities | $122,955 | $59.11 |
| 3 | Start-up | $110,003 | $52.89 |
| 4 | Technology | $102,683 | $49.37 |
The average unix systems engineer salary has risen by $20,453 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average unix systems engineer earned $91,632 annually, but today, they earn $112,085 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for unix systems engineers over the last decade.
Compare unix systems engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare unix systems engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $112,000 | $53.89 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $108,000 | $52.11 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $106,000 | $50.93 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $105,000 | $50.34 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $103,000 | $49.47 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company | Unix Systems Engineer (Enterprise Infrastructure Services) | Springfield, MA | 03/11/2025 | $126,838 |
| GM Financial | Global Unix Systems Engineer IV | Arlington, TX | 12/13/2024 | $88,000 |
| Bhphoto | Information Systems Unix Engineering Unix System Engineer 3 | New York, NY | 10/24/2024 | $121,000 |
| Tulzi Technologies | System Engineer SE2 With Nifi, Docker/Ranger, Ansible, Salt, Kubernetes, Unix, Terraform, Python | Fort Meade, MD | 10/05/2024 | $160,000 |
| Sapphire Software Solutions, Inc. | Unix Systems Engineer | Herndon, VA | 09/11/2024 | $99,000 |
| Sapphire Software Solutions, Inc. | Unix Systems Engineer | Herndon, VA | 09/11/2024 | $99,000 |
| Sapphire Software Solutions, Inc. | Unix Systems Engineer | Herndon, VA | 09/09/2024 | $99,000 |
| SAIC | Unix System Enginer | Scott Air Force Base, IL | 05/16/2024 | $75,001 |
| SAIC | Unix System Enginer | Scott Air Force Base, IL | 05/16/2024 | $75,001 |
| Pro Audio Video | Information Systems Unix Engineering Unix System Engineer 3 | New York, NY | 03/30/2024 | $121,000 |
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