The correct linear equation that represents the amount of money Malia would take in based on the number of hours worked, \( x \), is:
\( y = 17.35x + 100 \)
Here, \( y \) represents the total amount of money earned, \( 17.35 \) is her hourly rate, \( x \) is the number of hours worked, and \( 100 \) is her hiring bonus.