Linux Software Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Linux Software Engineers are strong H-1B visa sponsorship candidates. Roles in kernel development, embedded systems, and systems programming typically qualify as specialty occupations, and employers across cloud infrastructure, defense, and semiconductor industries sponsor regularly. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsDescription
Invent the future with us.
Ampere is a semiconductor design company for a new era, leading the future of computing with an innovative approach to CPU design focused on high-performance, energy efficient AI compute.
As a pioneer in the new frontier of energy efficient high-performance computing, Ampere is part of the Softbank Group of companies driving sustainable computing for AI, Cloud, and edge applications.
Join us at Ampere and work alongside a passionate and growing team - we’d love to have you apply!
About the Role:
We are seeking an experienced Senior Linux Systems Engineer to join our dynamic team in Santa Clara. The ideal candidate will have extensive expertise in Linux system administration, virtualization, storage solutions, container orchestration, and HPC environments. This role requires a proactive engineer who can design, deploy, and maintain complex infrastructure, automate workflows, and mentor junior staff while ensuring high availability, security, and performance of our systems.
What You'll Achieve:
As a core member of our IT team, you will:
- Linux System Administration: Install, configure, and maintain Linux servers primarily running Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Ubuntu, and Rocky Linux distributions. Perform routine system monitoring, tuning, and troubleshooting to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
- Virtualization Management: Deploy and manage virtualization platforms including KVM, XEN, and VMWare. Optimize virtual machine configurations and resource allocation to meet workload demands.
- Automation and Infrastructure as Code: Develop and maintain automation scripts and playbooks using Ansible, Terraform, and other DevOps tools to streamline system provisioning, configuration management, and deployment processes.
- Containerization and Orchestration: Build, deploy, and manage containerized applications using Docker. Administer Kubernetes or OpenShift clusters to orchestrate container workloads efficiently.
- High-Performance Computing (HPC): Support HPC cluster environments by managing job scheduling systems (e.g., Slurm, LSF), optimizing parallel file systems such as Lustre and GPFS, and tuning system parameters for maximum throughput and scalability.
- Security and Compliance: Implement security best practices including patch management, vulnerability assessments, access controls, and compliance auditing to safeguard infrastructure.
- Documentation and Knowledge Sharing: Create and maintain detailed documentation of system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting guides. Provide training and mentorship to junior engineers and team members.
Incident Response and On-Call Support: Participate in on-call rotations to provide timely response to system incidents, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions to minimize downtime.
About You:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field. Equivalent work experience may be considered.
- Minimum of 5+ years of professional experience in Linux system administration with strong hands-on expertise in RHEL, Ubuntu, and Rocky Linux environments.
- Proven experience managing virtualization technologies including KVM, XEN, and VMWare.
- Solid understanding and practical experience with enterprise storage solutions such as SAN, NAS, and distributed storage platforms like Ceph.
- Proficiency in automation and configuration management tools such as Ansible and Terraform.
- Experience with container technologies including Docker and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes or OpenShift.
- Familiarity with HPC cluster management, job schedulers (Slurm, LSF), and parallel file systems (Lustre, GPFS) is highly desirable.
- Strong scripting skills in Python for automation and system integration tasks.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor junior engineers and contribute to team knowledge sharing.
Preferred Certifications:
- Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) or equivalent Linux certification.
- Certifications in virtualization (e.g., VMware Certified Professional) and container orchestration (e.g., Certified Kubernetes Administrator) are a plus.
What We'll Offer:
At Ampere we believe in taking care of our employees and providing a competitive total rewards package that includes base pay, cash long-term incentive, and comprehensive benefits. The full base pay range for this role is between $159,000 and $239,000.
Our benefits include health, wellness, and financial programs that support employees through every stage of life.
Benefit highlights include:
- Premium medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, as well as income protection and a 401K retirement plan, so that you can feel secure in your health and financial future.
- Unlimited Flextime and 10+ paid holidays so that you can embrace a healthy work-life balance.
- A variety of healthy snacks, energizing espresso, and refreshing drinks to keep you fueled and focused throughout the day.
And there is much more than compensation and benefits. At Ampere, we foster an inclusive culture that empowers our employees to do more and grow more. We are excited to share more about our career opportunities with you through the interview process. Our benefits include health, wellness, and financial programs that support employees through every stage of life.
LOCATION
The role is based at Ampere’s Santa Clara, CA office. This role is full-time onsite.
LI-Onsite
Ampere is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, age, veteran and/or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.
Description
Invent the future with us.
Ampere is a semiconductor design company for a new era, leading the future of computing with an innovative approach to CPU design focused on high-performance, energy efficient AI compute.
As a pioneer in the new frontier of energy efficient high-performance computing, Ampere is part of the Softbank Group of companies driving sustainable computing for AI, Cloud, and edge applications.
Join us at Ampere and work alongside a passionate and growing team - we’d love to have you apply!
About the Role:
We are seeking an experienced Senior Linux Systems Engineer to join our dynamic team in Santa Clara. The ideal candidate will have extensive expertise in Linux system administration, virtualization, storage solutions, container orchestration, and HPC environments. This role requires a proactive engineer who can design, deploy, and maintain complex infrastructure, automate workflows, and mentor junior staff while ensuring high availability, security, and performance of our systems.
What You'll Achieve:
As a core member of our IT team, you will:
- Linux System Administration: Install, configure, and maintain Linux servers primarily running Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Ubuntu, and Rocky Linux distributions. Perform routine system monitoring, tuning, and troubleshooting to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
- Virtualization Management: Deploy and manage virtualization platforms including KVM, XEN, and VMWare. Optimize virtual machine configurations and resource allocation to meet workload demands.
- Automation and Infrastructure as Code: Develop and maintain automation scripts and playbooks using Ansible, Terraform, and other DevOps tools to streamline system provisioning, configuration management, and deployment processes.
- Containerization and Orchestration: Build, deploy, and manage containerized applications using Docker. Administer Kubernetes or OpenShift clusters to orchestrate container workloads efficiently.
- High-Performance Computing (HPC): Support HPC cluster environments by managing job scheduling systems (e.g., Slurm, LSF), optimizing parallel file systems such as Lustre and GPFS, and tuning system parameters for maximum throughput and scalability.
- Security and Compliance: Implement security best practices including patch management, vulnerability assessments, access controls, and compliance auditing to safeguard infrastructure.
- Documentation and Knowledge Sharing: Create and maintain detailed documentation of system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting guides. Provide training and mentorship to junior engineers and team members.
Incident Response and On-Call Support: Participate in on-call rotations to provide timely response to system incidents, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions to minimize downtime.
About You:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field. Equivalent work experience may be considered.
- Minimum of 5+ years of professional experience in Linux system administration with strong hands-on expertise in RHEL, Ubuntu, and Rocky Linux environments.
- Proven experience managing virtualization technologies including KVM, XEN, and VMWare.
- Solid understanding and practical experience with enterprise storage solutions such as SAN, NAS, and distributed storage platforms like Ceph.
- Proficiency in automation and configuration management tools such as Ansible and Terraform.
- Experience with container technologies including Docker and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes or OpenShift.
- Familiarity with HPC cluster management, job schedulers (Slurm, LSF), and parallel file systems (Lustre, GPFS) is highly desirable.
- Strong scripting skills in Python for automation and system integration tasks.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor junior engineers and contribute to team knowledge sharing.
Preferred Certifications:
- Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) or equivalent Linux certification.
- Certifications in virtualization (e.g., VMware Certified Professional) and container orchestration (e.g., Certified Kubernetes Administrator) are a plus.
What We'll Offer:
At Ampere we believe in taking care of our employees and providing a competitive total rewards package that includes base pay, cash long-term incentive, and comprehensive benefits. The full base pay range for this role is between $159,000 and $239,000.
Our benefits include health, wellness, and financial programs that support employees through every stage of life.
Benefit highlights include:
- Premium medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, as well as income protection and a 401K retirement plan, so that you can feel secure in your health and financial future.
- Unlimited Flextime and 10+ paid holidays so that you can embrace a healthy work-life balance.
- A variety of healthy snacks, energizing espresso, and refreshing drinks to keep you fueled and focused throughout the day.
And there is much more than compensation and benefits. At Ampere, we foster an inclusive culture that empowers our employees to do more and grow more. We are excited to share more about our career opportunities with you through the interview process. Our benefits include health, wellness, and financial programs that support employees through every stage of life.
LOCATION
The role is based at Ampere’s Santa Clara, CA office. This role is full-time onsite.
LI-Onsite
Ampere is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, age, veteran and/or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.
See all 17,123+ Linux Software Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Linux Software Engineer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Linux Software Engineer
Target industries with high sponsorship rates
Cloud infrastructure, semiconductor, defense contracting, and embedded systems companies sponsor Linux engineers at high rates. These industries depend on deep Linux expertise that's genuinely hard to source domestically, making sponsorship a practical business decision for them.
Emphasize kernel and systems-level experience
Employers and USCIS both respond to specificity. Highlight kernel module development, device driver work, or real-time OS experience. Generic 'Linux experience' is common; demonstrable low-level systems work signals the specialized skill that justifies visa sponsorship.
Confirm your degree field aligns with the role
H-1B specialty occupation requires a degree in a directly related field. Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Engineering typically satisfy this. A business or unrelated degree creates petition risk, even with strong practical experience in Linux environments.
Ask about sponsorship before the technical interview
Confirm the role is open to sponsorship during the recruiter screen, not after three interview rounds. Most Linux engineering roles at mid-to-large technology companies do sponsor, but confirming early saves significant time if a smaller employer hasn't done it before.
Understand the H-1B cap and your current status
If you're on OPT or STEM OPT, you're subject to the annual H-1B lottery. Cap-exempt employers like universities and nonprofit research organizations offer a path around the lottery entirely, which matters if your OPT expiration timeline is tight.
Use open source contributions as supporting evidence
Accepted upstream kernel patches, maintained packages, or significant open source project contributions strengthen both your job applications and any future O-1A petition. Document these carefully. They demonstrate specialized ability in a verifiable, publicly auditable way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Linux Software Engineer roles qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes. Linux Software Engineer positions consistently qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations when the role requires a bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Roles involving kernel development, device drivers, or embedded systems carry the strongest petition profiles. General IT support roles that happen to run Linux are a different matter and may not qualify.
Does my degree field matter for a Linux Software Engineer H-1B petition?
It matters significantly. USCIS requires a direct relationship between your degree and the specific duties of the role. Computer Science and Electrical Engineering are the strongest fits. A degree in an unrelated field can trigger a Request for Evidence, even if you have years of hands-on Linux experience. Some employers use a 3-for-1 experience equivalency rule, but this adds complexity to the petition.
Which types of employers sponsor Linux Software Engineers most reliably?
Cloud infrastructure providers, semiconductor manufacturers, defense contractors, telecommunications companies, and enterprise hardware vendors sponsor Linux engineers at high rates. These organizations run Linux-dependent products at scale and can't easily substitute specialized kernel or embedded systems expertise. Startups sponsor less predictably, largely depending on whether they've navigated the H-1B process before. Browse current openings on Migrate Mate to filter specifically for sponsoring employers.
Can I get an H-1B as a Linux Software Engineer if I don't have a four-year degree?
Possibly. USCIS allows three years of specialized work experience to substitute for one year of formal education, meaning 12 years of relevant Linux engineering experience can theoretically replace a four-year degree. In practice this is harder to document convincingly and more likely to face scrutiny. A two-year degree combined with six or more years of directly relevant systems-level experience is a more defensible path than no degree at all.
Are there visa options besides the H-1B for Linux Software Engineers?
Yes. Australian citizens can use the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and a much faster timeline. Canadian and Mexican citizens may qualify for TN visa status under the USMCA. Engineers with a track record of significant open source contributions, publications, or industry recognition may qualify for the O-1A extraordinary ability visa, which is cap-exempt. If your employer has international offices, an L-1 visa intracompany transfer is worth exploring if you've worked there for at least one year abroad.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Linux Software Engineer jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.