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Senior Linux Engineer Jobs in Washington, DC (NOW HIRING)

Senior Linux Systems Administrator

Annapolis, MD ยท On-site

$92K - $166K/yr

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Senior Linux Systems Administrator in our ... Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO ...

... engineers The successful candidate will have: Experience with following: AWS migration and ... Linux proficiency experience 7+ years Ansible experience Manage Appian servers Microsoft Office 365 ...

Showing results 41-60

Senior Linux Engineer information

See Washington, DC salary details

$11

$66

$87

How much do senior linux engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for senior linux engineer in Washington, DC is $66.56, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $54.47 and $81.68 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior Linux engineer?

To thrive as a Senior Linux Engineer, you need in-depth expertise in Linux system administration, scripting, networking, and troubleshooting, typically backed by a bachelor's degree in computer science or related field and several years of hands-on experience. Familiarity with tools such as Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes, and certifications like RHCE or LPIC are highly valued. Strong analytical skills, clear communication, and the ability to mentor junior engineers help set top performers apart. These skills are essential for maintaining reliable infrastructure, driving automation, and supporting team success in dynamic technical environments.

What does a senior Linux engineer do?

Senior Linux Engineers are often responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining scalable Linux-based infrastructure, automating routine tasks, and ensuring high system availability. They regularly collaborate with software development teams, troubleshoot complex technical issues, and implement security best practices. In addition, they may participate in infrastructure upgrades, disaster recovery planning, and mentor junior team members. This combination of technical and collaborative work keeps the role both challenging and rewarding while offering opportunities for professional development.

How much does a senior Linux engineer make?

A senior Linux engineer typically earns between $90,000 and $140,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and certifications such as RHCE or Linux Foundation certifications. They often work with scripting, system administration, and cloud environments, with higher salaries in tech hubs and for those with advanced skills.

What is a senior Linux engineer?

A Senior Linux Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining Linux-based systems and infrastructure. They ensure system reliability, security, and performance while automating tasks using scripting and configuration management tools. This role often involves troubleshooting complex issues, optimizing system resources, and collaborating with development and operations teams. Senior Linux Engineers also contribute to scaling IT environments, integrating new technologies, and mentoring junior engineers. Strong expertise in networking, security, and cloud-based solutions is typically required for this position.

What are the most commonly searched types of Linux Engineer jobs in Washington, DC?

The most popular types of Linux Engineer jobs in Washington, DC are:

What are popular job titles related to Senior Linux Engineer jobs in Washington, DC?

For Senior Linux Engineer jobs in Washington, DC, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Linux Engineer jobs in Washington, DC look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Linux Engineer jobs in Washington, DC are:

Infographic showing various Senior Linux Engineer job openings in Washington, DC as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $138,435 per year, or $66.6 per hour.

Senior Linux System Administrator

Black Canyon Consulting

Bethesda, MD โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 4 days ago


Job description

Overview
Black Canyon Consulting (BCC) is actively looking for Senior Linux System Administrator to support our work for the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), an institute of the National Institutes of Health. This opportunity is full time and onsite at the NIH-NCBI in Bethesda, MD and/or remote work.
NCBI is part of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NCBI is the world's premier biomedical center hosting over six million daily users that seek research, clinical, genetic, and other information that directly impacts biomedical research and public health - at NCBI you can literally help to accelerate cures for diseases! NCBI's wide range of applications, platforms (node, python, Django, C++, you name it) and environments (big data [petabytes], machine learning, multiple clouds) serve more users than almost any other US Government Agency according to https://analytics.usa.gov/.
We attract the best people in the business with our competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision coverage, 401k plan with employer contribution, paid holidays, vacation, and tuition reimbursement. If you enjoy being a part of a high performing, professional service and technology focused organization, please apply today!
Duties & Responsibilities
  • Develop and document standard operating procedures for a wide range of tasks, such as systems provisioning, installation, upgrading, and migration; host and service monitoring; configuration management; problem troubleshooting; and other aspect of systems administration.
  • Manage and configure services, software, and hardware configurations.
  • Take direction from the team lead and work independently within a team-environment.
  • Mentor junior team members.
  • Learn new technologies and skills.
  • Develop and maintain custom tools in Python, Perl, Ruby, and Bash to automate managing the UNIX infrastructure.
  • Use Puppet to maintain thousands of physical and virtual Linux CentOS systems and associated applications.
  • Develop policies and procedures for standard systems administration tasks (packaging, OS installs, patch management).
  • Build open-source software from source code.
  • Document procedures, systems, services, and software. Provide ad-hoc training where appropriate.
  • Provide UNIX support to NCBI's internal developers and researchers.
  • Provide technical solutions to a wide range of problems and user requests through an established trouble ticketing system.
  • Troubleshoot, research, design, and implement solutions to complex systems problems while accounting for technical limits, overall cost, and security policies.
  • Assist with planning and implementation of major OS upgrade, deployments, and architectural changes.

Requirements:
  • Willingness to learn new technologies and skills.
  • Demonstrate significant experience in Linux Systems Administration (7+ years).
  • Comfortable with Unix command line tools.
  • Highly versed in Linux administration and best practices.
  • Fluent in programming/scripting skills for automation in at least two of Bash, Ruby, Python, and Perl. (Other languages also helpful, but not required.)
  • General understanding of Linux internals (system calls, file systems, processes, etc).
  • General understanding of TCP/IP and related protocols (HTTP, FTP, NFS, etc...)
  • Comfortable working with users of varying levels of IT knowledge.
  • Experience with building open-source software from source code.
  • Able to work with minimum supervision on assigned tasks, and work with others both within and outside of the team.
  • Strong communication skills, especially with regards to documentation.

Bonus Points (not required!):
  • Experience in a complex, dynamic, production, public-facing Linux environment.
  • Experience with OpenShift, Kubernetes, GKE, or similar technologies.
  • Knowledge of cloud technology such as AWS and GCP.
  • Experience with automated configuration management, such as Puppet (preferred), Ansible, Chef, bcfg2, CFEngine, etc.
  • Experience with version control. (Git is preferred, but not required.)
  • Experience supporting large web application environments and development.
  • Experience with enterprise network architectures.
  • Experience with monitoring, alerting, and observability tools.