Jobs Demand Rising for Linux and Open Source Skills

Have you been looking for a job, or perhaps some work on the side? If so, and you have Linux or other open source skills, the news is good. Demand for Linux and open source workers continues to rise. We've covered this trend as reported by careers sites such as Dice.com, and by The Linux Foundation, but one of the most detailed breakdowns appears at LinuxCareer.com, through its IT Skills Watch report. In addition to reporting on demand for Linux skills, it breaks down how the demand looks for workers with skills in other areas ranging from PHP to Apache Tomcat.

LinuxCareer.com bases its reports on data from employers. According to itls latest IT Skills Watch report, demand is high for open source workers with skills for development tools and environments including PHP, Ruby on Rails, and SQL.

At Baselinemag.com, you can also look at a nice slideshow featuring results from a Dice/Linux Foundation survey.  These were some of the findings:

- 93% of respondent employers plan to hire at least one Linux professional within the next six months.

- 90% of employers say it's difficult to find professionals with Linux skills.

- The average increase in pay for staffers with Linux experience from January 2012 to January 2013 was a healthy 9%.

A few months back, The Linux Foundation ran a complete interview with Dice.com's Alice Hill, where she noted:

"Linux is firmly at the core of software development and system administration and still growing. What the survey respondents tell us about Linux as a priority for 2012 echoes recruitment posting activity on Dice. We have seen demand in areas like mobile and cloud take off, but Linux-related jobs are a consistent leader. In fact, Linux job postings on Dice.com are up 17 percent year/year and is one of the top 10 most requested skills...It’s not a surprise to us that Linux talent is in demand, but what is surprising is the fact that 85 percent of companies report having difficulty finding qualified Linux professionals. That’s substantial. Linux is a core skill and employers understand this. Now tech professionals need to recognize the opportunity and join this community."

Back in August, I did a post on where you can find free, online resources for picking up Linux and open source skills that may be valuable in the job market. You can find it here.