Salary Survey Extra is a series of periodic dispatches that give added insight into the findings of our most recent Salary Survey. These posts contain previously unpublished Salary Survey data.

Tux, the tubby penguin that is the more-or-less-official mascot of Linux, hardly looks capable of bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. Given the massive importance of the internet in modern life, and the massive importance of Linux to internet infrastructure, however, it would appear that there are hidden reserves of Atlas-esque might beneath those sleek black feathers.

For many certified Linux professionals, CompTIA's Linux+ credential is an important cornerstone of their knowledge of the Little Open Source Operating System that could. Linux+ appears at No. 52 on our most recent Salary Survey 75 list.

Here's what the salary picture looks like for Linux+ holders who responded to the Salary Survey:

All U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $105,000
Median Annual Salary: $95,630
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 22.8 percent
Very Satisfied: 8.8 percent
Satisfied: 33.3 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 28.1 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 7 percent

CompTIA-certified individuals come from almost every corner of the planet, but we only heard from a handful of Linux+ holders from outside the United States. Hence, all of the data we're reporting here comes from U.S. residents only.

Most of the Linux+ holders we heard from are men, though a small number of women (8.5 percent of those surveyed) did contribute to our findings. It would appear that there's a lot of opportunity for younger certified Linux professionals, as almost everyone we heard from is 35 or older. Just 7 percent of those surveyed are younger than 35, either between the ages of 19 and 24 (1.7 percent), or between the ages of 25 and 34 (5.3 percent). The rest are either between the ages of 35 and 44 (22.8 percent of respondents), between the ages of 45 and 54 (38.6 percent), between the ages of 55 and 64 (24.6 percent), or between the ages of 65 and 74 (7 percent).

More than 85 percent of the Linux+ holders to participate in the survey have an educational background that includes time spent at a college or university. The highest level of format education completed by most Linux+ holders is either a bachelor's degree (45.6 percent of those surveyed), master's degree (22.8 percent), associate's degree (15.8 percent), doctorate (1.8 percent) or professional degree (1.8 percent). The outliers are the 3.4 percent of respondents who left the realm of formal education after completing a high school diploma and the 8.8 percent who completed some level of post-high school technical training.

An excellent 96.6 percent of Linux+ holders who responded to the survey are employed full-time, with the remaining 3.4 percent either holding part-time jobs (1.7 percent) or presently unemployed (1.7 percent). Among those who are employed full-time, most are at work either the standard 40 hours per week (43.9 percent of respondents), or put in between 41 and 50 hours per week (42 percent). The rest either have a regular work schedule of more than 50 hours per week (10.5 percent of respondents), or get off easy working either between 31 and 39 hours per week (1.8 percent) or between 20 and 30 hours per week (1.8 percent).

In terms of workplace standing, the largest single group of Linux+ holders who participated in the survey are at the senior specialist level (44.1 percent of respondents). The rest, in descending order, are either specialists (20.3 percent of those surveyed), managers (16.9 percent), rank-and-file employees (8.5 percent), directors (6.8 percent), or senior managers (1.7 percent) and executives (1.7 percent).

A shade less than 70 percent of the Linux+ holders we heard from are IT veterans, having worked in a role that directly utilizes one or more of their certified skills for more than a decade. The rest have been plying their certified skills for either between zero years (1 to 11 months) and 2 years (3.3 percent of respondents), between 3 and 5 years (8.5 percent), between 6 and 8 years (10.2 percent), or between 9 and 10 years (8.5 percent).

Finally, here's the view of Linux+ holders on key questions from the survey about how certification impacts job performance:

At my current job I use skills learned or enhanced through certification:
Several times a day: 59.3 percent
Several times a week: 23.7 percent
Several times a month: 5.1 percent
Occasionally: 8.5 percent
Rarely: 3.4 percent

Since becoming certified, I feel there is greater demand for my skills.
Strongly agree: 42.4 percent
Agree: 33.9 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 23.7 percent
Disagree: [No responses]
Strongly Disagree: [No responses]

Becoming certified has increased my problem-solving skills.
Strongly agree: 39 percent
Agree: 44 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 15.3 percent
Disagree: [No responses]
Strongly Disagree: 1.7 percent

Becoming certified has increased my workplace productivity.
Strongly agree: 37.3 percent
Agree: 40.7 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 16.9 percent
Disagree: 3.4 percent
Strongly Disagree: 1.7 percent

PAST LINUX+ DEEP FOCUS FEATURES

2018