What is on Your Mind?

I'm somewhat new to the world of Unix (about 8-9 months of exp, but 11 years in IT). I would like to work as a contractor performing Unix or Linux support work, but I'm not sure what kind of rates to expect. Can anyone out there give me an idea of what Unix contractors make in your perspective area?

Also for a new Unix guy, will industry certification make me more attractive to employers or headhunters?

This is not a technical question, so I moved it to our off-topic section.

industry certification will get your resume out of the round file but your lack of experience may be harder to get past ... if your IT experience says something that you have done work similar or the same as what a Unix SA does, you have a chance of getting in the door if you can convince a prospective employer/recruiter that your certification and your experience can be a big asset ...

rates? depends on where you're at ... could be $25 or could be $75 or could be higher ... around metro-boston at the time of the win2k work --- i was able to get $45 with barely any experience ...that's not gonna happen now ...


good luck!

Around here (Australia) most employers want at least 5 years hands on unix admin experience for contract roles and certification helps, but not having it won't stop them looking at you. Expect between $45 to $60 per hour depending on the length of the contract.

I used Salary.com to do a bunch of research on Unix admin salaries last time I asked for a raise. They had the best info by far compared to other sites I used. I don't remember if they do contract rates (I don't think so) but if not just get a feel for what full time salaries should be and make sure your contract rate is a little above that to make up for lack of benefits.

When I did that research about 18 months ago the median for Minneapolis was about $86,000 per year, with the range between 25th and 75th percentile going from the mid $70's to the high $90's. The charts I got were for Unix admins with several years experience though, so if you're just starting it would be substantially less.