Linux Kernel Developer
Linux Kernel Developer Salary
$101K - $108K
5% of jobs
$108K - $115K
4% of jobs
$115K - $122K
4% of jobs
$122K - $129K
2% of jobs
$129K - $136K
10% of jobs
$136.6K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$136K - $143K
11% of jobs
$143K - $150K
12% of jobs
The median wage is $151.7K / yr.
$150K - $157K
14% of jobs
$157K - $164K
14% of jobs
$164.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$164K - $171K
13% of jobs
$171K - $178K
13% of jobs
$101K
$152K
$176.5K
$149,062
/year
$71.66
/hour
Linux Kernel Developer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$149,062
Columbus
Ohio
$143,979
Do you get a good deal as a Linux Kernel Developer?
Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.
Take The Breakroom Quiz
How much does a Linux Kernel Developer make?
As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Linux Kernel Developer in the United States is $149,062 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $71.66 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,866/week or $12,421/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $176,500 and as low as $101,000, the majority of Linux Kernel Developer salaries currently range between $136,500 (25th percentile) to $165,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $173,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Linux Kernel Developer varies little (about 28500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
A Linux Kernel Developer in your area makes on average $143,979 per year, or $5,083 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $149,062. Ohio ranks number 39 out of 50 states nationwide for Linux Kernel Developer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Linux Kernel Developer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Linux Kernel Developer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Linux Kernel Developer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Linux Kernel Developer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Kentville, NS, close behind in the second and third positions. Kentville, NS, beats the national average by $30,924 (20.7%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $35,849 (24.0%) above the $149,062 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Linux Kernel Developer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Victoria, BC, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Linux Kernel Developer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $184,911 | $88.90 |
Berkeley, CA | $182,517 | $87.75 |
Kentville, NS | $179,986 | $86.53 |
Sitka, AK | $179,572 | $86.33 |
Whitehorse, YT | $178,841 | $85.98 |
Carcross, YT | $178,736 | $85.93 |
Haines Junction, YT | $178,126 | $85.64 |
Duncan, BC | $176,919 | $85.06 |
Oak Bay, BC | $176,597 | $84.90 |
Victoria, BC | $175,848 | $84.54 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Linux Kernel Developer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Linux Kernel Developer job category, we found that Cloud Software Engineer jobs have average salaries similar than Linux Kernel Developer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cloud Software Engineer | $142,296 | $68.41 |
Linux Infrastructure Engineer | $127,066 | $61.09 |
Linux Kernel Engineer | $114,500 | $55.05 |
Terraform Developer | $108,397 | $52.11 |
Camera Engineer | $100,078 | $48.11 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
