FileHippo News

The latest software and tech news

After reporting that Linux professionals are in line for higher salaries as compared to others, a recent survey has shown that entrepreneurs are seeking... Linux Experts in High Demand

After reporting that Linux professionals are in line for higher salaries as compared to others, a recent survey has shown that entrepreneurs are seeking more Linux experts. The report clearly shows that the demand for Linux experts is going to remain high throughout the year. Linux talent is in short supply and there are many companies who want to employ their services. Little wonder that they are being remunerated handsomely for their work.

Linux Experts in High Demand

This is the best time to be a Linux professional. People may be raving about the ‘cool’ work environments at Google and Apple but if you want to make good money and enhance your skills, learning Linux is the best thing to do right now. The statistics are there for all to see. The numbers speak for themselves. Over 3,400 employers and Linux professionals were a part of the survey so you don’t need to doubt its authenticity at all. The results are pretty much accurate.

And it is not as if this is the first time that employers are looking to hire Linux experts. Even last year, the employers had responded enthusiastically to the survey, with 89% of them expressing the desire to have a Linux expert on board in the next six months. Whether they did or didn’t hire a Linux expert is a discussion for another day. This year, the number of employers who responded in the affirmative to the same question increased by 4% which means 93% employers’ want to hire a Linux expert.

Linux Experts in High Demand

Even with the growing demand for Linux talent, there is a drastic skill shortage. The employers want Linux experts on board right away but they have a hard time finding someone to do the job. Last year, 80% of the employers had stated that they were finding it difficult to find the right talent to get on board. This year, the percentage has increased with 9 out of 10 employers saying that finding Linux talent is difficult than ever.

The imbalance between demand and supply has been reflected by the Linux professionals’ response to the survey. A third of them admitted to having received a call from a recruiter to find a job elsewhere. What’s more, they are promised higher salaries with a bigger perks package. Needless to say, it is becoming difficult to avoid the temptation for them. The prospect of big money is enticing and some of them have jumped ship over the past year or so.

Among the Linux talent in high demand, the System Administrators are the most sought-after ones. 73% of the cloud companies taking part in the survey want to hire a Linux system admin. The developers are also in high demand with close to 60% demand. The reason for this remains the increasing importance of cloud hosting and computing as well as storage of big data. Regardless of what the reason is, it is quite clear that the demand for Linux talent is on the rise.

If you haven’t decided on your college/university course yet, opting for a course in Linux is not a bad idea at present!

[Images via eboards & cbsoutdoor]