Linux Developers See Salary Increases

According to online job board Dice.com, IT workers with Linux skills saw their pay jump 5 percent last year with a median salary of $84,000 and bonuses of $5,000. Of the companies surveyed, 85 percent said it was "extremely difficult" to find the Linux talent they need.

The situation isn't likely to get better for employers this year: 67 percent of those surveyed said they planned to hire Linux developers this year, and smaller numbers were looking for systems administrators and managers with Linux skills. In order to attract the workers they need, companies are sweetening their deals by offering flexible work schedules (37 percent), higher-than-average salaries (28 percent), higher bonuses (18 percent) and stock options (8 percent).