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Senior Unix Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Sr. Splunk Engineer

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$118K - $161K/yr

The Senior Splunk Engineer maintains the logging infrastructure for Splunk Enterprise and other ... Unix/Linux administration background a strong plus * Experience with Splunk ES / UBA * Logging ...

Senior Lead Data Engineer Do you love building and pioneering in the technology space? Do you enjoy ... UNIX/Linux including basic commands and shell scripting * 2+ years of experience with Agile ...

Sr. Gateway | Market Data Developer

Chicago, IL

$56.25 - $74.25/hr

Sr. Gateway | Market Data Developer We are seeking a Senior Software Developer focused on exchange ... Unix systems Experience using network tools such as Wireshark and TCPDump to monitor and debug ...

Senior Software Engineer

Chicago, IL

$126K - $166K/yr

DomainTools is hiring a Senior Software Engineer to join our Engineering Team. This role is perfect ... Unix environments. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills. * Proven ability to ...

Senior Software Engineer

Chicago, IL · Remote

$125K - $165K/yr

DomainTools is hiring a Senior Software Engineer to join our Engineering Team. This role is perfect ... Unix environments. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills. * Proven ability to ...

Sr. DevOps Engineer (Greenberg)

Chicago, IL · On-site

$133K - $172K/yr

What makes this Support Engineering role on the Prime team particularly interesting? • The ... Prior experience with UNIX system administration is a plus. * Data analytics/BI

Sr. Data Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$118K - $141K/yr

Requirement - Sr. Data Engineer Location- Chicago, IL (Hybrid- 03 days onsite and 02 days remote ... Python or Unix Scripting • Proficient in SQL, PL/SQL, relational databases (RDBMS), database ...

Senior Lead Data Engineer Do you love building and pioneering in the technology space? Do you enjoy ... UNIX/Linux including basic commands and shell scripting * 2+ years of experience with Agile ...

Senior Platform Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$107K - $147K/yr

The Senior Platform Engineer provides production support, production monitoring, CI/CD design ... Unix/Linux programming or system administration experience. * Experience with OpenStack and AWS p ...

Senior Lead Data Engineer Do you love building and pioneering in the technology space? Do you enjoy ... UNIX/Linux including basic commands and shell scripting * 2+ years of experience with Agile ...

Senior Data Engineer

Bolingbrook, IL · On-site

$102K - $140K/yr

The Senior Data Engineer is responsible for supporting, planning and coordinating functional and ... Unix/Linux shell scripts. * Hands-on experience developing complex services/solutions based on ...

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Showing results 1-20

Senior Unix Engineer information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$61.3K

$130.4K

$189K

How much do senior unix engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior unix engineer in Chicago, IL is $130,372.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $107,600.00 and $147,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Unix Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Unix Engineer, you need deep expertise in Unix/Linux system administration, scripting, troubleshooting, and a relevant degree or equivalent experience. Familiarity with automation tools (such as Ansible or Puppet), shell scripting languages (like Bash or Perl), and certifications like RHCE or CompTIA Linux+ is highly valued. Strong problem-solving skills, effective communication, and the ability to mentor junior staff help set top performers apart in this role. These skills ensure reliable systems, smooth operations, and robust support for complex enterprise environments.

What does a Senior Unix Engineer do?

A Senior Unix Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining Unix-based systems within an organization. They handle advanced troubleshooting, system performance tuning, security configurations, and ensure the reliability and scalability of Unix infrastructure. In addition, they often mentor junior engineers, develop automation scripts, and collaborate with other IT teams to support business operations. Their expertise is crucial for managing large-scale, mission-critical environments.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

Senior Unix engineers with extensive experience, advanced skills in scripting, system administration, and familiarity with enterprise environments can earn $200,000 or more annually. High compensation often correlates with certifications, specialized knowledge, and working in industries like finance or technology at large organizations.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior Unix engineers with extensive experience, advanced skills in scripting, system architecture, and certifications such as RHCE or CISSP can earn $300,000 or more annually, especially in high-demand industries or senior leadership roles. Compensation varies based on location, company size, and individual expertise, often including bonuses and stock options.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

Senior Unix engineers with extensive experience, specialized skills in system administration, and certifications such as RHCE or advanced scripting can earn salaries approaching or exceeding $500,000 annually, especially in high-cost-of-living areas or within large tech companies. Such compensation often includes bonuses, stock options, and other benefits. These roles typically require deep expertise in Unix/Linux systems, cloud environments, and security.

What is the difference between Senior Unix Engineer vs System Administrator?

AspectSenior Unix EngineerSystem Administrator
CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science, Unix/Linux certifications (e.g., RHCE, LPIC)Bachelor's in IT or related field, Linux/Unix certifications often preferred
Work EnvironmentDesigning, implementing, and maintaining Unix systems, often in enterprise environmentsManaging daily system operations, troubleshooting, and user support
Industry UsageTech, finance, healthcare, and large enterprisesVaries across industries, including small to large organizations
Search & Comparison IntentFocus on advanced Unix skills and system designFocus on operational support and system maintenance

The main difference is that Senior Unix Engineers focus on designing and optimizing Unix systems, while System Administrators handle daily operations and support. Both roles require similar certifications and work in related environments, but their responsibilities differ in scope and complexity.

How much do Unix engineers make?

Senior Unix engineers typically earn between $90,000 and $130,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. They often require strong skills in scripting, system administration, and familiarity with Unix-based operating systems like Linux or AIX.

What are some of the most common challenges faced by Senior Unix Engineers in a large enterprise environment?

Senior Unix Engineers in large enterprises often face challenges related to managing complex, heterogeneous server environments and ensuring high availability. Balancing routine maintenance, security patching, and system upgrades with the need to minimize downtime can be demanding. Additionally, staying up to date with evolving technologies and scripting languages, while coordinating with cross-functional teams like network, storage, and application groups, requires strong communication and problem-solving skills.
What job categories do people searching Senior Unix Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Unix Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL are:
What cities near Chicago, IL are hiring for Senior Unix Engineer jobs? Cities near Chicago, IL with the most Senior Unix Engineer job openings:
Sr. Splunk Engineer

$118K - $161K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 18 days ago


Job description

At Early Warning, we've powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle, Paze, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses.

Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment.

Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship.

Overall Purpose
The Senior Splunk Engineer will support Production Assurance and Reliability Operations Services and ensure that the company operates a world-class enterprise log management solution.

The Senior Splunk Engineer maintains the logging infrastructure for Splunk Enterprise and other dependent infrastructure, such as syslog (syslog-ng/rsyslog) to ensure that reports are available, fast and efficient. They partner with stakeholders to gather and analyze user needs; evaluate and onboard new data sources; and ensure the operational and security integrity of the infrastructure. In addition, they will assist end users with searches, dashboards, reports, and knowledge objects. The Senior Splunk Engineer leads and/or consults on efforts pertaining to design, architecture, scalability, business continuity, and disaster recovery as needed.


Essential Functions

  • Oversees Splunk Enterprise infrastructure and tunes Splunk for optimal onboarding of data, performance, and capacity management; identifies gaps and areas of duplication; provides recommendations for optimization
  • Manages and maintains a complex multi-site hybrid environment and ensures the infrastructure remains available and scalable. Provides technical expertise in the maintenance and expansion of IT architecture to support business needs such as software additions, large-scale data stores and cloud -based systems
  • Ensures Splunk is monitored, and effective alerting is in place to meet SLAs and required visibility
  • Manages upgrades and patching of platform to ensure EWS identified vulnerabilities are mitigated or brought to resolution, and the infrastructure remains within supported guidelines
  • Ensures our logging environment provides for effective threat detection and response in direct partnership with information security teams
  • Participates in incident management & incident response during an outage or breach when needed
  • Interact with internal/ external customers to gather requirements, perform troubleshooting and aid with the creation of Splunk search queries. Designs and develops reports and dashboards in Splunk. Diagnoses, solves, and implements needed solutions for a complex environment.
  • Creates documentation for any addition or change to our environment. Reviews and updates on a regular basis to ensure accuracy.
  • Ensures the security tools are supporting all compliance efforts in collaboration with auditors
  • Provides metrics for platform performance, capacity, and user management
  • Assists with compliance questionnaires as needed
  • Collaborates with the Security team in security incident resolution and risk evaluations
  • On call rotation with other Splunk engineers to cover 24x7 response
  • Sets and supports best practices for end users and company standards. Stays current on the latest industry technologies, trends, and strategies
  • Support the company's commitment to protect the integrity and confidentiality of systems and data.

Minimum Qualifications

  • This position requires a high school diploma or GED. Additional college level Computer Science, Engineering or business-related classes are beneficial.
  • Minimum 5 years of progressive Splunk administration, Splunk architect and/or logging experience in a multisite environment is necessary
  • Certification: Splunk Certified Administrator required
  • Practical experience with major components of Splunk Enterprise, including data ingestion pipelines, and SPL
  • Solid Linux and Windows foundation with an emphasis of Unix/Linux CLI
  • Demonstrated proficiency with the full Splunk lifecycle, including all major components for an enterprise deployment.
  • Must have solid foundation in Linux and possess a competence to troubleshoot various aspects of the integration including operating system, application, and networking components as they relate to both Splunk and syslog implementations
  • Ability to handle large projects as well as take care of day-to-day operations
  • Strong sense of responsibility, ownership, and pride in delivering quality results.
  • In addition, troubleshooting and organizational skills with a can-do attitude and the ability to adjust to changing requirements are essential.
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate across all levels of the organization is necessary; must be able to clearly articulate technical ideas to a non-technical audience both verbally and in writing.
  • Background and drug screen


Preferred Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math or Physical Science.
  • Additional related education and/or experience preferred
  • Common ingestions strategies into Splunk such as UFs, HFs, HEC, TAs/Add-ons, syslog, etc.
  • Shell/Interpreter scripting a plus (e.g., Bash, PERL, Python)
  • Certifications: Splunk Core Certified Advanced Power User, Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect (working towards or achieved strongly desired)
  • Unix/Linux administration background a strong plus
  • Experience with Splunk ES / UBA
  • Logging technologies (implementation/administration) - syslog-ng/rsyslog, ELK, Filebeat, Kafka, Cribl, Fluentd, Graylog
  • X.509/PKI fundamentals with experience on practical implementation
  • Practical understanding and troubleshooting experience with the following: UDP, TCP, SSL/TLS, HTTP/S, Rest APIs, load balancers, forward proxies

Physical Requirements
Working conditions consist of a normal office environment. Work is primarily sedentary and requires extensive use of a computer and involves sitting for periods of approximately four hours. Work may require occasional standing, walking, kneeling, and reaching. Must be able to lift 10 pounds occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently. Requires visual acuity and dexterity to view, prepare, and manipulate documents and office equipment including personal computers. Requires the ability to communicate with internal and/or external customers.
Employee must be able to perform essential functions and physical requirements of position with or without reasonable accommodation.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow instructions and perform other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

Early Warning Services is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer.

The base pay scale for this position in:
Phoenix, AZ/ Chicago, IL in USD per year is: $132,000 - $165,000.
San Francisco, CA in USD per year is: $158,000 - $198,000.
Additionally, candidates are eligible for a discretionary incentive plan and benefits.
This pay scale is subject to change and is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific candidate, which is always dependent on legitimate factors considered at the time of job offer. Early Warning Services takes into consideration a variety of factors when determining a competitive salary offer, including, but not limited to, the job scope, market rates and geographic location of a position, candidate's education, experience, training, and specialized skills or certification(s) in relation to the job requirements and compared with internal equity (peers). The business actively supports and reviews wage equity to ensure that pay decisions are not based on gender, race, national origin, or any other protected classes.

Some of the Ways We Prioritize Your Health and Happiness

  • Healthcare Coverage-Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans as well as company contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health & dependent care expenses.

  • 401(k) Retirement Plan-Featuring a 100% Company Safe Harbor Match on your first 6% deferral immediately upon eligibility.

  • Paid Time Off -Flexible Time Off for Exempt (salaried) employees, as well as generous PTO for Non-Exempt (hourly) employees, plus 11 paid company holidays and a paid volunteer day.

  • 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave

  • Maven Family Planning - provides support through your Parenting journey including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work.

AndSOmuch more! We continue to enhance our program, so be sure tocheck our Benefits page herefor the latest. Ourteamcan share more during the interview process!

Early Warning Services, LLC ("Early Warning") considers for employment, hires, retains and promotes qualified candidates on the basis of ability, potential, and valid qualifications without regard to race, religious creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, protected veteran or disability status or any factor prohibited by law, and as such affirms in policy and practice to support and promote equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and municipal laws. The company also prohibits discrimination on other bases such as medical condition, marital status or any other factor that is irrelevant to the performance of our employees.

Early Warning Services LLC is a proud participant in E-Verify, a federal program to help ensure a legal and authorized workforce. As part of our hiring process, we electronically verify the employment eligibility of all new hires through E-Verify. For more information on your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify please visit Home | E-Verify.