35 Honest Network Engineer Salaries

How big of a salary bump would you need to pick up and move from one city to another? A brand new network engineer working in Springfield, Missouri, might earn a salary of about $48,000 a year. Meanwhile, a network engineer with years of experience and all the right qualifications who landed a job in Midland, Texas, could earn $155,000 a year. A part of that is education and certifications, but a huge part of that difference is location.

The murky role of a network engineer can also contribute to the differences in salary. Companies that don’t know exactly what a network engineer is or does might assign the job title to people who otherwise wouldn’t be qualified in a different organization.

We’re here to help clarify not only what a network engineer does, but also what they should know how to do and, most importantly, what a fair salary is. To do that, we’ve collected salary information from 35 job markets around the country to find out what network engineers make and how they can earn more. 

What is a Network Engineer?

A network engineer is an IT professional responsible for designing, implementing, monitoring, and managing an organization’s networks. These networks are typically local and wide area networks, emphasizing uptime and user availability. At first glance, this definition may look familiar: it’s very similar to the job descriptions of a network administrator and a network architect.

A network engineer tends to fall somewhere between those two roles. However, network engineers have a much broader and deeper base of knowledge and experience than network administrators. Still, they’re not responsible for planning an organization’s network resources and usage like a network architect.

Network engineers often balance taking the initiative and following others' lead. On the one hand, they earn a good salary by being critical thinkers who gather information about network health and make judgments independently. On the other hand, they're also expected to follow instructions from their network architects or team leads and rarely have complete responsibility for the entire network.

35 Real Salaries for Network Engineers

We’ve gathered information about network engineer salaries from all over the country. In the process, we found that the national average numbers don’t always exactly reflect the salaries network engineers can expect from one city to the next.

We pulled data from job postings, existing job descriptions, and IT networking sites. Then, we split that data by geographical area and filtered it by jobs whose salaries reflect entry-level network engineers and those better suited to network engineers with more experience and qualifications. We found a low-end average, high-end average, and overall average salary for network engineers.

• The national average salary for a Network Engineer is $109,040.

• The national average high for a Network Engineer is $143,000.

• The national average low for a Network Engineer is $54,000.

What you’ll see in the following chart is that in some job markets, the salary ranges are relatively narrow. However, in other cities, the differences between a low-paid network engineer and a high-paid one are much larger. 

All data is from ZipRecruiter as of December 2024.

The starting salary for network engineers is pretty stable around $100,000 a year. Looking only at the low-end average salaries for network engineers, in most job markets, $65,000/year seems standard. There are a handful of cities a bit lower than that and a handful that are notably higher, but the $77,000/year salaries in San Francisco or $78,000 in Seattle are exceptions, not the rule.

This suggests that new network engineers have a clear starting point for their careers. If you’ve spent a few years as a network technician or a network analyst and you want to move up to a position as a network engineer, seeing a stable ground floor for starting salaries should be encouraging. It suggests that every step you take to improve yourself, gain qualifications, or set yourself apart only strengthens your salary prospects.

Coastal metropolitan cities are where to find the best average salaries for network engineers. Cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. are hubs of competitive salaries for network engineers. Those cities rank in the top ten for overall average salaries, as well as the best places for entry-level network engineers as well.

Location matters a lot for salary growth. Depending on where you look and how much salary growth a network engineer can look forward to, changes a lot. For example, in Tallahassee, Florida, an entry-level network engineer might start around $60,000, and they can reasonably expect to earn $17,000 a year more. Compare that to San Francisco, where they might earn $30,000 a year more when compared to their starting salary.

Obviously, it’s always important to improve your salary prospects through education, certification, and training, but this suggests that it’s also important that network engineers keep an eye on their local job markets. Make sure you’re not inadvertently passing over better pay the next town over or in the next state.

4 Salary Considerations for Network Engineers

The salaries that network engineers can look forward to vary across the country, but location isn’t the only variable that affects what one can expect to be paid. Network engineers with the right combination of experience, education, and skill sets are the ones who reliably get paid the most.

So, what experience, exactly, does a network engineer need? And what degree should you consider? Are networking certifications really worth it? In the next several sections, we’ll look at each of those questions specifically and offer thoughts on how to move your salary needle closer to the high end.

Experience Requirements for Network Engineers

If you want to become a network engineer, seek a combination of education and work experience. We’ll start with education. Most job postings for network engineers call for at least a bachelor’s degree, usually in subjects related to computer science or information technology. 

It is possible (but rare) that work experience and other qualifications can offset that if a degree is off the table. That’s because network engineer is an advanced role that usually comes with work experience prerequisites of its own. Network engineers often come from positions like network administrator, network technician, or help desk technician. When years of experience in a network-adjacent role is a prerequisite alongside education, the degree is harder to waive.

For IT professionals who want to become network engineers, breadth of experience is likely better than depth. Network engineers are called upon for a wide range of tasks, so experience with different networks is better than extreme proficiency with one type of firewall.

For a network engineer, a track record of creativity in your design and implementation choices is important. In other words, stay on top of technology trends and find ways to incorporate the latest developments into your network. From network automation to the cloud, there are often new products and tools that can enhance (or weaken) your network’s capabilities.  

4 Types of Network Engineer Tools You Need to Know

A network engineer ultimately has to be able to take hands-on control of any part of the network’s operation. The nice salary that comes with being a network engineer comes with the understanding that you don’t fix things when they break: you make sure things don’t break in the first place.

Here are the types of tools a network engineer should be familiar with, and what they’re used to accomplish in a network.

Protocol Analyzers and Packet Sniffers

Packet sniffers or protocol analyzers are the tools that help network engineers perform network traffic analysis. Traffic analysis is an art much more than a science, and the best salaries for network engineers go to those who can wield their protocol analyzers like a paintbrush.

A network engineer should be familiar with tools like SolarWinds’ Deep Packet, ManageEngine’s NetFlow, and Wireshark. Tools that integrate machine learning for automated traffic anomaly detection and predictive analysis are also gaining traction. It would be unrealistic to know every tool, but it’s a good idea to be familiar with the current popular sniffers. 

Salary impact of protocol analyzers and packet sniffers: Huge. Experienced network engineers know one variable often sets apart bad decisions from great ones: the data. Protocol analyzers and packet sniffers provide huge dumps of data for network engineers to navigate. A network engineer’s salary is dependent on their ability to make sense of it and come up with effective solutions. 

Network Simulators and Emulators

Network engineers are often responsible for making decisions that affect thousands of devices and end users—that’s a weighty responsibility. Network simulators and emulators allow network engineers to create network traffic and see how it behaves under theoretical configurations and with different hardware and software. 

Different simulators and emulators behave differently, and they’re generally meant to accomplish different objectives on a network. Cisco’s Packet Tracer simulates network topologies, GNS3 boasts an open-source interface and platform, and VIRL is preferred for educational institutions. 

Salary impact of network simulators and emulators: Huge. The experimentation and freedom of choice that network simulators offer can’t be rivaled in any other capacity. A network engineer who wants to gain real experience managing networks they’d otherwise never be able to get their hands on can’t overlook the value of knowing the right simulator.

Network Design and Network Topology Mappers

It’s not unusual for a network architect to undertake ground-up designs of network topologies and network engineers to execute and maintain them simply. But regardless of how much new network designing you do in your day-to-day job, familiarity with network design tools will make sure you’re never lost with topology maps. You'll also want to be familiar with SD-WAN and multi-cloud environments, which are now critical aspects of network engineering.

Salary impact of network design and network topology mappers: Considerable. A network engineer should know enough about different network design tools to appreciate their differences. When would you want to opt for Microsoft Visio to create a network map, and when would you choose ManageEngine? These are the basic questions that a network engineer should at least be ready to answer.

Network Configuration Managers

Few tools can make a network engineer’s life as easy as a great network configuration manager can. With the right interface for configuring and troubleshooting network config utilities, a network engineer can save enough time to justify their salary many times over.

Again, a network engineer doesn’t need to be an expert on five different NCMs, but they should have a sense of how SolarWinds’ NCM differs from ManageEngine’s or Paessler’s. You'll also want to keep up with tools that support Infrastructure as Code (IaC), such as Ansible, Terraform, and Python scripting for network automation. 

Salary impact of tool/cat: Considerable. Different companies rely on different network configuration managers, and a general familiarity with the options is more important than deep familiarity. Sort of like having a driver’s license means you can quickly learn a new vehicle, having used a good NCM can signal to an employer you could quickly pick up a new one — even a proprietary, in-house one.

10 Must-Have Certifications for Network Engineers

Industry certifications can be challenging, time-consuming, and stressful. They can also be eye-poppingly expensive — and did we mention hard? However, certifications are also one of the best ways to prove mastery and quantify experience.

Manufacturers of hardware and software issue many certifications to ensure companies and organizations get the most bang for their buck. By offering an exam that validates whether or not a network engineer knows the “officially” right way to use the technology, the manufacturers know their tools are being used appropriately. Employers like them because they guarantee that a network engineer can step into the job right away and not miss a beat.

Here are ten great certs from three different certifying bodies:

3 CompTIA Certifications for Network Engineers

CompTIA is a professional organization for IT employees that focuses on vendor-agnostic certifications. They don’t cover specific hardware or software but instead test for an IT professional’s ability to perform in a certain role. The Network+ is one of the world’s most popular networking certifications, and a network engineer should absolutely earn it. If your job responsibilities warrant it, Cloud+ and Server+ are also excellent options.

Salary impact of earning certs like CompTIA Network+: Huge. CompTIA is respected around the world as one of the best IT professional organizations, and their certifications often mark the top performers in the field.

4 Cisco Certifications for Network Engineers

If you knew one company manufactured 49% of all the ethernet switches on the planet, wouldn’t you want to have a piece of paper that said you’re thoroughly comfortable using them? Cisco is that company, and its certifications are some of the most trusted and well-regarded in the IT world.

The CCNA is a broad, entry-level certification that just about any networking professional should have. The CCNP Enterprise covers essentials in enterprise networking management. If job responsibilities warrant it, the CCNP Data Center and the CCNP Service Provider are more focused on managing specific types of networks, which are extremely important certifications.

Salary impact of earning certs like Cisco’s CCNA: Huge. The CCNA is so common in the IT world that earning it’s sort of a rite of passage. Networking professionals without a CCNA will struggle to justify high salaries at some point. The higher-level CCNP certs ensure you’re familiar with all the advanced configurations of particularly large corporate networks.

Three Juniper Certifications for Network Engineers

Juniper doesn’t have as large a footprint as Cisco does, but its name is just as well-respected. The largest, most expensive, most complex networks to manage are often run on Juniper equipment, and their certifications are the key to proving mastery with them. 

Earning a Juniper certification like the associate-level JNCDA will show you understand the basics of network management, while professional-level certs like the JNCIP Data Center and JNCIP Enterprise Routing and Switching are how to set yourself apart as a network engineer.

Salary impact of earning Juniper certs like JNCDA: Significant. Juniper networks are slightly more rare than Cisco networks. But their complexity and scope are usually so much greater that a certification in managing them is more valuable than the equivalent for a Cisco network. If you work for a company that runs a Juniper network — or you plan to — you should at least be planning to earn the JNCDA.

What Type of Companies Need Network Engineers?

The industry you choose to work in also has a significant impact on your career and salary as a network engineer. To grow, you'll want to work for a company that needs large and robust networks, but you should also aim to work for companies that understand your career ladder and can provide a way forward for you.

Financial Institutions

Local banks and credit unions need network engineers, but network engineers who want to handle the largest networks and bring in the best salaries should consider national and international financial institutions. These are places with networks that span the globe and where tiny fractions of a second can make a difference of millions of dollars. Network engineers who can prove their worth will have no problem being well-compensated.

Career impact for Network Engineers working in finance: Significant. Citi, Wells Fargo, Berkshire Hathaway, and companies like them are places a network engineer can begin their search for financial employers. Teams that support huge financial networks have robust career ladders and plenty of room for advancement.

Utility Companies

Utility companies provide an interesting challenge for network engineers who want to deal with big data and SCADA networks. These networks monitor devices all over the country and ensure smooth operations despite highly complex interactions. The salary range for network engineers working in utilities is often extremely competitive.

Career impact for Network Engineers working for utility companies: Significant. From power to water to oil and more, utility providers need robust networks that are hardened and always available. Network engineers working on utility networks will have different responsibilities than those working on more traditional service provider/telephony networks and unique problem sets, but also higher salaries. 

Health Care

If there’s any career field expanding faster than IT, it’s the medical field. Combining the two seems like a no-brainer. Network engineers who work on medical networks are responsible for increasing patient information availability and enhancing health outcomes through resilient, high-speed networks.

Career impact for Network Engineers working in healthcare: Considerable. The biggest upside to landing a network engineer job in health care is the stability. Healthcare networks are expanding rapidly, and a network engineer who can justify their salary will almost certainly never struggle to hold down a job.

How to Increase Your Salary as a Network Engineer

The numbers for a network engineer are all over the place. What they should earn isn’t always clear, and their roles on an IT team aren’t agreed on throughout the community. But that should look and sound like an opportunity to network engineers with curiosity and initiative.

The key to increasing your salary as a network engineer is gaining experience with as many different networking technologies as possible and accumulating certifications as you go.

A four-year degree is often a huge boost to network engineer salaries, and the industry you wind up in can also affect how high you can move up the ladder. What every network engineer needs to be passionate about is staying up-to-date with technology trends. 

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