Network Engineer Salary, Skills, and Career Path

Mid-level network engineers with four to six years of experience can bring in an average annual income of $85,000, while seven to nine years of experience can earn an average of $93,000 a year. It is critical to make sure your network is secure, especially if it contains sensitive company data. Although most organizations have how to become a windows network engineer a dedicated security officer, everyone on an IT team has a role to play in network security, including the network engineer. Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t report on network engineers specifically, we can use its reporting on network and computer systems administrators to get an idea of the job outlook.

  • There are many Level 4 network engineering apprenticeship opportunities and you can search for them using Find an apprenticeship.
  • As we’ve mentioned before, there are many ways for network professionals to get their education.
  • „Agile Methodologies“ or „Agile“ are ways of describing an iterative approach to software development.
  • The training is delivered via multimedia rich video tutorials, presentations and quizzes, through a portal that you study from home.
  • When composing your resume, make sure that you show how your performance in each of your roles had a material benefit on the company network’s growth and evolution.
  • When the DNS goes down, the entire network goes down, so understanding how to troubleshoot it is imperative.
  • If a network’s security is compromised, the company’s databases could be exposed to online hackers.

You may work internally as part of an organisation’s IT support team, or externally as part of an outsourced IT networking consultancy firm working with several clients. Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you. You might only get noticed if you demonstrate your value to your company’s IT efforts.

Network Engineer Job Description

Study emerging areas of technology in network engineering and make yourself an expert in one of them. Whether you want to go into product management for network services or learn cloud architecture, there are professional certification opportunities that can make you a stronger candidate for more specialized roles. As you continue to climb the ranks, your job titles will become more specific. With entry-level experience under your belt, you’re ready to become a staff-level network engineer.

  • According to PayScale, the average annual salary for a network engineer is $76,961.
  • C is a widely used low-level, static-typed, compiled computer language known for its efficiency.
  • I decided to check out Cybrary and the courses they had to offer after seeing a few posts from people who had completed their courses.
  • Becoming a network engineer is a great way to enter the field of computer science.
  • In 2023, the average annual salary for a network engineer is over $94,845 with some lead network engineers making more than $144,000.
  • You will have two years access to complete Step 4, which consists of Networking courses, Live lab and official CCNA exam, as outlined below.
  • It is widely used for systems-level programming, and building applications on Windows and various Unix operating systems (Lin…
  • A network engineer is responsible for setting up, maintaining, and continuously improving the security posture and efficiency of the computer networks within an organization.

“When you watch a show on Netflix or Hulu, and you see that typical IT backdrop of blinking lights on a server rack, do you say to yourself, ‘That doesn’t look right! ’ When you see a router, switch, or modem about to be disposed of, do you bring it home and tinker with it to see if you can get it to work? While working within this position, we will release Step 4 of your training which is specifically designed to qualify you to move into the Networking sector. You will have two years access to complete Step 4, which consists of Networking courses, Live lab and official CCNA exam, as outlined below. You can log into the portal at anytime, meaning this can be completed around any full time job.

Working as a Junior Network Engineer

To become a successful network engineer, you’ll have to get the appropriate education, choose a career path, and find the right job. If you’re just starting, becoming a network engineer will take at least four years. With certifications and master’s degrees, you can progress further in your career.

Netwars is one of SANS’s most popular Cyber Ranges, pulling you into an interactive cybersecurity challenge to test your knowledge and provide you with valuable simulated but real-world experience. As the backbone of the world wide web, and as the basis of most modern networks, the domain name system (DNS) is vital for any company that uses the Internet to conduct business. When the DNS goes down, the entire network goes down, so understanding how to troubleshoot it is imperative. Network engineers are often also responsible for protecting these networks from all sorts of external threats—from phishing schemes to ransomware to denial-of-service attacks—with a process known as network security. Contracting may be an option once you’ve gained substantial experience – visit Contractor UK for more information. Your aim is to ensure the integrity of high availability network infrastructure to provide maximum performance for your users.

Is the Network Engineer Career Path for You?

Salary data from the salary data report from the 2022 median annual salary report for a network engineer was more than $91,000 per year. Once you have the required college degree and have undergone specialization, it is time to start looking for jobs. The demand for skilled, educated network technicians is high, so there should be many job opportunities waiting for you.

career path for network engineer

To become a network engineer, you need to develop the skills by pursuing a bachelor’s degree program or taking training courses and certifying in a field of study that provides network engineering knowledge and skills. The field of network engineering is an exciting, fast-paced, and rewarding field of work to enter. For anyone trying to sustain a career in network engineering, adequate planning is necessary. Below are tips on how to set yourself up for a future role in this profession.

You’ll offer support to users, who can be staff, clients, customers and suppliers and troubleshoot any problems. ”Octopus is a forward-thinking company who is keen to promote internally along flexible career pathways. They were interested in my CV because of the CV-rebuild and my background in customer service. I see myself still working for and advancing within Octopus over the next five years. Once you have gained the two years experience within the IT industry, as well as completing step 4 of your training, we can then place you into a role as a Network Engineer. Once you have completed the initial three steps, we will then place you into your first role as either an IT Technician/IT Support specialist, with a starting salary of anywhere between £21K-35K.

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