Fact checked by Let's talk about Linux certifications. They're vital for so many careers, and that's only becoming more relevant. Linux remains a critical infrastructure across system administration, DevOps, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. As we head into 2026 and beyond, its significance only continues to grow, making proficiency not just valuable but often a prerequisite for many technical roles.
As a seasoned Linux user, I've seen firsthand how these credentials can transform a resume, signaling to employers a verified understanding that extends far beyond basic commands.
Navigating the array of available certifications, however, can be daunting. That's why this guide delves into the nine best Linux certifications to consider this year. We'll explore options suited for various experience levels and career aspirations, from foundational credentials to specialized, expert-level accolades. If you're ready to elevate your Linux skills and make a demonstrable impact in your field, let’s explore which certification might be the perfect fit for your professional journey.
Are Linux Certifications Worth It?
Before we get into specific recommendations, it's worth asking the most important question right at the top. Is a Linux Certification worth it? The short answer is yes. They can certainly be valuable, particularly for IT professionals in cloud computing, DevOps, system administration, and cybersecurity.
In fact, employers often seek candidates with specific certifications as they indicate a proven skill set and commitment to professional development. It also doesn't hurt to combine these with complementary qualifications, like DevOps certifications.
For those new to the field, certifications like the Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) or CompTIA Linux+ provide foundational knowledge. More experienced professionals may pursue advanced certifications, such as the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), to showcase their expertise in complex Linux systems.
Overall, I think you need to bear in mind that practical experience is also valuable alongside certifications, and real-world experience often holds more weight in the tech industry.
That said, try to think of Linux certifications as a supplement to hands-on experience, not a replacement. But when they are combined with practical skills, they can open doors to higher-level positions and salary increases.
How To Choose The Best Linux Certification
Picking the right Linux certification can feel like a bit of a maze, right? If you're scratching your head wondering which path to take, I've found that zeroing in on a few key factors really helps. Here’s what I always suggest keeping in mind:
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Your Current Know-How & Career Goals: First up, take an honest look at what you already bring to the table. Do you have specific technical skills locked down, or maybe even a formal degree that lines up? More importantly, does the certification you're eyeing actually fit with where you want your career to head? There's no point chasing a cert that doesn't match your current expertise or your future ambitions.
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The Bang for Your Buck: Next, let's talk about whether it's a sensible spend at this point in your career journey. Will dropping cash on this certification genuinely open up doors to those higher-paying roles you're after? Or is it pretty much essential for making that next leap up the ladder? You've got to weigh the cost against the real-world value it's likely to deliver for you.
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Shelf Life & Upkeep: Don't forget to check the "best before" date on these credentials. How long is the certification actually good for? And what’s the deal with keeping it active – are we talking about jumping through hoops with renewals or facing more exams down the line? It's worth knowing how easy (or not) it'll be to keep that certification current.
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Street Cred in the Industry: Finally, do a bit of homework and see what other pros in the field are saying. Has this particular certification genuinely helped folks advance their careers or snag better job opportunities? I always lean towards certifications that have a solid reputation and a proven track record of making a real difference in your specific niche.
The 9 Best Linux Certifications In 2025
Alright, to help you navigate this landscape, I've done the groundwork, carefully evaluating a wide range of options. From that deep dive, I've pinpointed nine specific Linux certifications that, based on my experience and their relevance in today's tech scene, I believe offer significant value. These are the credentials that I've found truly stand out and can make a tangible difference as you advance your career this year.
1. Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Linux 8 System Administrator
Key Information
Number of questions: 60
Exam time: 90 minutes
Passing score: 60%
Languages: English
Cost: $245 (As of Oct. 2024)
The Oracle Certified Linux System Administrator certification validates your expertise in deploying, configuring, and administering Oracle Linux 8 in production environments.
Earning this demonstrates your comprehensive knowledge of Oracle Linux, covering installation, configuration, and system monitoring.
This certification also prepares Linux system administrators to fully leverage Oracle Linux's advanced features, including new capabilities introduced in Oracle Linux 8.
I think this is ideal for IT professionals who want to showcase their ability to manage Oracle Linux servers effectively in enterprise environments, with a focus on performance, scalability, and security.
The certification also highlights fluency in the latest Oracle Linux technologies, making it valuable for those working in environments where Oracle Linux is widely used, particularly for databases and enterprise applications.
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2. CompTIA Linux+
Key Information 
Number of questions: 90
Exam time: 90 minutes
Passing score: 80%
Languages: English, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish
Cost: $369 (exam only) (As of Oct. 2024)
The CompTIA Linux+ certification is a job-focused credential that demonstrates essential Linux administration skills, critical for managing, securing, and automating enterprise systems, which is ideal if you're prepping for Linux interviews.
It covers system management, security, scripting, and troubleshooting, ensuring that professionals can configure software, manage storage, set up permissions, and automate processes using infrastructure-as-code and containers like Docker.
Unlike distribution-specific certifications, CompTIA Linux+ provides a broad foundation across all major distributions of the Linux operating system, making it versatile in the job market.
The exam includes performance-based and multiple-choice questions that validate real-world problem-solving skills. Ideal for professionals with 12 months of Linux server experience, the certification is designed to meet the evolving demands of cloud-powered IT environments.
3. LPIC 1 – Linux Administrator
Key Information 
Number of questions: Two exams, 60 each
Exam time: 90 minutes per exam
Passing score: 62.5%
Languages: English, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish
Cost: $200 (As of Oct. 2024)
LPIC-1 is the first certification in the multi-level Linux certification program from the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) and it validates your ability to perform essential Linux administration tasks, including working on the command line, installing and configuring Linux systems, and setting up basic networking.
If you're fresh off a Linux course, this is a great choice, as this Linux certification does not require any prerequisites and is valid for 5 years.
The certification reflects current industry standards and ties its objectives to real-world system administration skills, determined through job task analysis during exam development.
To earn the LPIC-1 certification, you will need to demonstrate an understanding of Linux system architecture, install and maintain a Linux workstation (including X11) and set it up as a network client.
You must also be proficient at the Linux command line, manage files, permissions, and system security, and perform basic maintenance tasks such as helping users, adding users, performing backups, and handling system shutdowns and reboots.
4. LPIC 2 – Linux Engineer
Key Information 
Number of questions: Two exams, 60 each
Exam time: 90 minutes per exam
Passing score: 62.5%
Languages: English, German, Japanese, Portuguese
Cost: $200 (As of Oct. 2024)
LPIC-2 is the second level of certification in the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) certification program, validating your ability to administer small to medium-sized mixed networks.
The current version of the certification consist of two 90-minute sessions, each containing 60 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, so be sure to spend some time going over a Linux cheat sheet.
To be eligible, you will already need to hold an active LPIC-1 certification.
LPIC-2 certified professionals are expected to perform advanced system administration tasks, including managing the Linux kernel, system startup, and maintenance. They must also handle advanced block storage, file systems, networking, and security, including firewall and VPN setup.
Additionally, LPIC-2 certification demonstrates the ability to install and configure core network services, such as DHCP, DNS, SSH, web servers, file servers, and email delivery. Certified professionals are also expected to supervise assistants and provide advice on automation and IT purchases.
5. LPIC 3 – 300 – Linux Enterprise Professional Certification
Key Information 
Number of questions: 60
Exam time: 90 minutes
Passing score: 62.5%
Languages: English, Japanese
Cost: $200 (As of Oct. 2024)
The LPIC-3 certification is the highest-level certification in the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) program, aimed at enterprise-level Linux professionals.
It is a distribution-neutral certification and represents advanced expertise in Linux administration. There are four LPIC-3 specialty certifications, and passing any one of the four exams grants the LPIC-3 certification for that specialty.
One of the available specialties is LPIC-3 Mixed Environments, which focuses on administering Linux systems in enterprise-wide mixed environments.
To obtain the LPIC-3 certification, you must already hold an active LPIC-2 certification. The major topics for the Mixed Environments certification include Samba basics, Samba and Active Directory domains, Samba share and client configuration, as well as Linux identity management and file sharing.
6. LFCS (Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator)
Key Information 
Number of questions: Performance-based exam
Exam time: 120 minutes
Passing score: 66%
Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and German
Cost: $395 (exam only) or $595 (course and exam) (As of Oct. 2024)
The Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) exam is designed for candidates who want to demonstrate their ability to install, configure, and operate Linux-based systems, whether on-premises or in the cloud.
The exam is performance-based, simulating real-world tasks and scenarios that sysadmins face on the job.
It is not tied to any specific Linux distribution and is thus vendor-neutral, so candidates no longer need to choose a platform during preparation. The certification shows that certified administrators can proficiently operate Linux-based systems, deploy and manage applications, understand key Linux networking concepts, and support cloud-native deployments.
Additionally, learners can access an exam simulator, provided by Killer.sh, which offers two attempts to experience the exam environment with 20-25 questions. Although the simulation uses the same questions for all users, it provides valuable practice for the actual exam.
7. RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator)
Key Information 
Number of questions: Performance-based exam
Exam time: 3 hours
Passing score: 70%
Languages: English
Cost: $500 (As of Oct. 2024)
A Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) is an IT professional skilled in core system administration tasks within Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments.
The certification is awarded after passing the RHCSA Exam (EX200), which tests a wide range of abilities. RHCSAs can effectively manage files, directories, and command-line environments using essential tools, and they can also create simple shell scripts.
Additionally, you need to be able to operate systems by managing services, booting into different run levels, and handling virtual machines. You should also be proficient in configuring local storage using partitions and logical volumes, as well as creating and managing file systems, including setting permissions, encryption, and access control.
RHCSAs are also responsible for deploying, configuring, and maintaining systems, which includes software installation and updates. Furthermore, you will need to know how to manage users, groups, and handle security tasks such as basic firewall and SELinux configuration. You wil also be capable of performing basic container management tasks.
8. RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer)
Key Information 
Number of questions: Performance-based exam
Exam time: 4 hours
Passing score: N.A
Languages: English
Cost: $500 (As of Oct. 2024)
The Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certification builds upon Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) skills, focusing on automation in multi-system environments.
This certification emphasizes the importance of automating the deployment, management, and support of complex systems, making it highly relevant in a DevOps environment. With expertise in automation tools like Ansible, RHCEs demonstrate a deep understanding of how automation integrates with other Red Hat technologies.
Both current and prospective RHCEs or RHCSAs can follow various tracks to complete or renew their RHCE certification.
The exam itelf is a hands-on, practical assessment that tests your ability to use Red Hat Ansible Engine to perform real-world system administration tasks.
You will be provided with multiple systems to install and configure Ansible Engine, followed by creating and using Ansible Playbooks to configure systems for specific roles and behaviors.
9. RHCA (Red Hat Certified Architect)
Key Information 
Requires the user to pass 5 certification exams depending on the route taken
The Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) is the highest level of certification within Red Hat’s programs. It is available to anyone who has achieved either the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Red Hat Certified Enterprise Microservices Developer (RHCEMD), or Red Hat Certified Cloud-native Developer (RHCCD) credentials.
To become an RHCA, you must also complete five additional certifications, chosen from system administration or developer paths, and keep them current.
Red Hat offers two distinct RHCA certifications: one in Infrastructure and the other in Enterprise Applications. Candidates can pursue either path or both.
Although Red Hat provides recommended combinations of certifications, candidates can earn any combination based on their individual or organizational needs, as these recommendations are flexible and subject to change with emerging technologies. However, specific combinations do not confer a different certification beyond RHCA itself.
Wrapping Up
And that's a wrap! Those are the nine Linux certifications I reckon are top-tier for 2025, with solid options whether you're fairly new to the Linux world or you're an old hand already steering the ship.
No matter if you're just getting your feet wet or you're already calling the shots leading a team, each one of these certifications I've laid out is a clear signal to any employer – current or future – that your Linux skills aren't just talk; they've been properly vetted by an industry-recognized body.
So, whichever Linux certification you decide to go for, I genuinely wish you the best of luck with the exam and, of course, with all the great things that'll come next in your career!
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