Linux certifications are worth it?
Linux is used in modern enterprise and cloud computing.The days when early adopters risked their jobs to implement a Linux system are long gone.There are many enterprise-ready Linux server distributions that admins can choose from.
You'll find Linux in more than one data center.Both Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud use Linux extensively to run their platforms, and also support a wide variety of Linux machine instances.Linux is a preferred platform for ethical hacking and penetration testing.
Linux certifications are a common pursuit for many IT professionals.Which Linux certifications should you pursue?We will provide insight on Linux certs and their value.
There are two types of Linux certifications, ones that are independent of the Linux distribution and ones related to a specific distribution or vendor productized version.The Linux Foundation and the Linux Professional Institute offer independent certifications.
Linux Administrators, Linux Engineers, and Linux Enterprise Professionals are certifications offered by LPI.CompTIA has a cert.The Linux Foundation has certifications for Linux engineers.
The certifications we see on the product side of the equation are typically for administrators, engineers, and architects.
There are some interesting certifications in the cybersecurity space.There is a cert that focuses on securing and auditing Linux and UNIX systems.
There are certifications for cybersecurity specialists.
Take a look at our Complete Open Source Certification Guide if you want to learn more about Linux/Open Source certifications.
There is a strong demand for IT professionals with Linux skills.Over 60,000 US job openings were found in a December search of the Indeed.com job site.Does the demand translate into a demand for Linux certifications?
There are 60,000 Linux job openings.There were less than 250 total openings that required those credentials.The searches for SUSE certifications came up dry.
It's only with Red Hat certifications that we see higher numbers of opportunities, but even here they are a tiny percentage of the overall Linux opportunities.
There are a few Linux jobs that require Linux certification.A likely answer is that hiring companies prefer peer-level interviews to check out a candidate's Linux skills.
According to our Complete Open Source Certification Guide, employers seem to be willing to pay higher salaries for Red Hat-certified professionals, whereas the "generic Linux" certs are on a par with other industry certifications.In these cases, certificate holders earn $4,000 more per year than non-certified professionals.
MCSA's and admins with generic Linux certifications average $74,000, while Red Hat Certified sys admins earn an average of $86,00 or more.The Red Hat Certified Engineer averages $22,000 more per year than their LPIC-2-certified colleagues.
There is a demand for Linux skills.Most Linux job openings stress experience with the operating system.It is likely that a Linux credentials will be considered an advantage in the hiring process rather than a must have.
There is no question that you should get on the Red Hat certification track if you are working with Red hat Linux.Before becoming a Red Hat engineer, you should start as a certified admin.The final step is to become a certified architect.
If you know that you'll be working with Oracle Linux, then you might consider going for the OCA and then OCP in Linux.Only if you are locked into an Oracle Linux job.It's the same for SUSE Linux and the certifications.
The generic certifications are not the same as the real certifications.They have a broader application because they are not dependent on any particular distribution.If you have real world Linux experience and can prove it to a Linux peer, each of these certs will be viewed positively by employers.
The LPI route is the one you're most likely to pick.It's better known than the Linux Foundation and has a career development path with tiers for admin, engineer, and architect.If you decide to take a career move into either the Amazon or Google clouds, any of these certs will position you well.
Cybersecurity was mentioned earlier.If you follow your basic Linux certs, this could be a good career progression.
Is Linux certification worth it?As long as you choose to support your career progression, the answer is yes.
Whether you decide to go for a Linux cert or not, CBT Nuggets has training that will help you develop useful and practical Linux job skills.We have training that supports the Linux certification programs, as well as other Linux distributions.
Our Penetration Testing with Linux Tools course can help you prepare for your Kali Linux Professional or OSCP certification.
New and updated training that is relevant to your career development can be found in our training library.
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