Why You Should Get Wireless Certified in 2024

Wireless networks have become complex beasts, and the enterprise environment needs wireless-certified professionals more than ever.

Are you ready to make a career move or put yourself in a position to potentially earn more with your current employer? It might be time to earn the CWAP certification. Keep reading to find out why. 

What Does a Wireless Certified Professional Do?

Wireless-certified professionals keep wireless networks running fast and smoothly. One of the many jobs of a certified wireless professional is to perform site surveys and remediate wireless network issues, but they do so much more. Wireless certified professionals design and build out wireless networks, secure wireless networks for things like IoT deployments, and design specialized wireless networks, such as high-bandwidth 5G networks. 

Wireless-certified professionals are going to grow in demand, as industries like agriculture and manufacturing tap wireless technologies to improve their operations. They also will be responsible for building and maintaining networks on the same scale as network engineers who manage large, autonomous networks across regions and remote offices. 

Should You Earn the CWAP?

A good network engineer can fix a poorly performing wireless network. If the wireless network is deployed in a typical office building or a warehouse with clear and open areas, it may need nothing more than time and a little TLC to fix. 

Poorly optimized wireless networks are another thing entirely, and increasingly our wireless networks are getting more complex. Our radio waves are flooded. Networking has become so complicated that network equipment vendors use intricate broadcasting patterns with built-in redundancy to ensure wireless transmissions don’t trip over each other.

On top of that, wireless radios use frequency ranges today that bounce off everything, offering little to no penetration. This is a recipe for disaster inside an office building filled with metal cubicles and filing cabinets. 

Wireless networks also extend well beyond connecting smartphones and laptops to the internal network. Wireless networks are being developed to handle complicated IoT devices.

Depending on the facility, a business may also integrate more complex types of networks like dedicated 5G local networks for long-distance and high-bandwidth throughput. That introduces all sorts of problems. IoT equipment needs to be properly secured, and local 5G networks require special equipment and configurations. Both need to tie back into the core network safely. 

Wireless-certified engineers will be accountable for all that, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of what they’ll do. Wireless-certified network engineers will need to keep the wireless network operating without interfering with other networks or equipment, secure networks, and remediate any issues associated with the wireless network.

In addition, they’ll need to know the difference between types of wireless networks, frequencies, protocols, and how everything in their environment affects wireless communication.  

If you want to be prepared for all that (and we think you should be), the CWAP is a great place to start.  See also: Is the CWAP Worth It?

How Much Does a Certified Wireless Professional Make?

While it depends on where you live and who you work for, the bottom line is wireless certified network engineers earn good money. 

General techs, those who remediate break/fix tickets, make anywhere from $60,000 to $70,000 on average. That’s more than the average L2 or L3 helpdesk tech and on par with entry-level network engineers.

Network engineers who maintain the entire scope of the network and are wireless-certified professionals average around $100,000 a year. More rural areas saw a slight drop, averaging about $85,000 a year, while metropolitan areas saw a significant increase, with an average closer to $150,000 yearly. 

Wireless-certified IT and project managers (with additional experience and a few other certifications) average around $215,000 yearly. 

Demand for Certified Wireless CWAP Professionals is Growing 

Wireless networks have become extremely complicated to manage, especially with the introduction of local 5G and IoT technologies. As a result, the enterprise needs more techs.

CBT Nuggets offers a variety of wireless training to help you get started on your wireless journey. We also are in the process of creating CWAP training, so keep your eyes peeled for news about that training.

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