Provided is a linear compressor capable of reducing noise and manufacturing cost. The linear compressor includes a piston reciprocating within a cylinder, a motor providing a driving force for movement of the piston, a sensing unit sensing a motor voltage and a motor current related to the motor, a discharge part installed at one end of the cylinder and adjusting discharge of a refrigerant compressed within the cylinder, and a controller detecting a load variation of the motor using at least one of the motor voltage and the motor current, calculating a compensation value related to a position of the piston each time a load variation of the motor is detected, and detecting an absolute position of the piston using the calculated compensation value.