#Japan #Tokyo #LPI-Japan #Linux #Infrastructure Engineering

Survey of Infrastructure Engineers' Salaries and Skills

A recent study conducted by LPI-Japan, a nonprofit organization specializing in open technology certifications, investigated the salary realities and skill levels of 110 infrastructure engineers (those involved in server construction, operation, network management, and cloud environments).

Key Findings

1. Approximately 80% of surveyed engineers recognized that knowledge and skills in OS and foundational technologies significantly influence their salaries.
2. 70% experienced barriers to career advancement due to a lack of foundational knowledge in OS technologies.
3. While 78.1% believe that studying Linux/OS foundational technologies can lead to salary increases, only 30.9% prioritize this learning compared to a substantial 49.1% who prioritize obtaining cloud certifications.

Detailed Overview of Survey Results

Salary Distribution

When asked about their current annual salary (tax inclusive), nearly half (46.3%) of the engineers reported earning 6 million yen or more. The detailed breakdown is as follows:

• - Under 3 million yen: 8.2%
• - 3 to under 4 million yen: 7.3%
• - 4 to under 5 million yen: 11.8%
• - 5 to under 6 million yen: 21.8%
• - 6 to under 7 million yen: 12.7%
• - 7 to under 8 million yen: 9.1%
• - 8 to under 10 million yen: 11.8%
• - Over 10 million yen: 12.7%
• - Unknown: 4.5%

Exposure to OS and Foundational Technologies

When asked about their involvement with OS and foundational technologies, over 70% reported interacting with these technologies multiple times a month. Specifically:

• - 31.8% engage with these technologies regularly (multiple times a week)
• - 39.1% do so periodically (a few times a month)
• - 20% occasionally (once every few months)
• - 4.5% rarely (a few times a year)
• - 3.6% never

Understanding of Linux/OS Systems

A striking 67.2% of engineers claimed they understand Linux/OS mechanisms to a level allowing them to apply this knowledge in their work. The responses to the inquiry were:

• - Deep understanding (able to teach others): 22.7%
• - Moderate understanding (work applicable): 44.5%

Notably, among those earning over 10 million yen, 42.9% have a deep understanding of the systems, significantly higher than the overall average.

Perceived Impact on Salary

About 80% of engineers believe that knowledge and skills in OS/foundation technologies affect their salary. Of those, 36.4% strongly agree while 42.7% somewhat agree.

Barriers to Career Advancement

A staggering 70% acknowledged that a lack of knowledge in OS/foundational technology created barriers to their career advancement, with the most cited issues being:

• - Not evaluated favorably during promotion considerations (59.7%)
• - Not assigned to desired projects (41.6%)
• - Difficulty answering technical interview questions (41.6%)

Effective Measures for Salary Increase

When asked about effective ways to increase their salary, the most common response was obtaining cloud certifications (49.1%), followed by security-related learning (39.1%). In contrast, only 30.9% believed that acquiring Linux/OS foundational knowledge would be effective.

Conclusion

The survey results reveal a significant gap between the perceived importance of OS/foundational knowledge and the actions taken by engineers to improve in this area. While many recognize the value of systematic learning in OS technologies for career advancement and salary increases, few are prioritizing this educational path in comparison to more visible technologies like cloud computing.

Ultimately, engineers need to create intentional opportunities to learn foundational technologies to enhance their market value in the long run. By deepening their understanding of OS and foundational skills, they can navigate barriers to advancement and improve their earning potential.

For more detailed insights, you can download the full report here.