The old rule of thumb in the tech sector is that Linux/UNIX sysadmins cost more than Windows sysadmins. Mention that "fact" in a crowded room, and at least five people will retort but you need fewer Linux/UNIX admins than Windows admins to run a network!.
I bumped into Roblimo last month at a conference, and he mentioned that this fact^Wmyth isn't confirmed by the data. He mentioned a study by a professional compensation analyst that says something quite different -- that salaries for Linux, UNIX and Windows admins are all roughly equal:
Currently Foote Partners tracks Red Hat (RHCE) and LPI certifications, and compares salaries of people who hold them with those who hold MCSEs. And, he says, people with MCSEs currently get an average of about 7% more than than sysadmins without certification, which is exactly the same premium sysadmins with Red Hat certification are likely to get. He says the "value add" for Solaris and HPUX certs is also in that 7% range; that, in effect, after adjusting for all other factors (like experience, company size, location, and level of responsibility), Linux, Unix, and Microsoft sysadmins all get paid about the same.-- Do Linux sysadmins really get paid more than MCSEs?
Of course, this is a very complex issue, and isn't accurately summarized by soundbites asserting or denying who gets higher salaries. And what's true today wasn't necessarily true two years ago, and it won't necessarily remain true in two years' time. But it's nice to know that someone is looking hard into the data and dispelling old myths.
You can become a MCSE with a fairly shallow knowledge level so I'm not really sure that I would value them at 7% of a sysadmin salary. Somebody who has a wide range of experience is far better suited than somebody with a wide range of qualifications.
Anyway, even if you have a 7% bonus to alleviate some of the pain of working on Microsoft products, the next time you pull an all-nighter swearing at Exchange or your IIS servers go down with a virus, consider linux
p.s. A couple of years back I was seriously considering training for a MCSE. I was also considering a career as a VB programmer too, but don't hold that against me
