Network Engineer Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 11 minutes
Reading Time: 11 minutes

The following article discusses the career path of Network Engineer. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Network Engineers.

Job Duties

Network engineers focus on ensuring that the company’s computer system and network have been designed and implemented properly. They are usually office based, troubleshooting problems as they occur across the company. They also ensure that the firewall and security systems are fully up to date and running properly.

Network engineers are aware of the different forms of networking technologies, including firewalls, cryptographic tunneling, and routing. These are things they have learned as part of a bachelor’s degree, although learning on the job and through continuous professional education is equally important. Furthermore, they have to have proficiency in all types of Microsoft Office programs, including Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, and they must be able to troubleshoot problems with these programs, but also with computer systems and the network as a whole. They must ensure that the entire network runs at top efficiency, in other words.

Other job duties of network engineers include:

  • Planning, developing, and troubleshooting both the wide area network and local network infrastructures. These include firewalls, routers, gateways, switches, DHCP servers, DNS servers, clustering solutions, and other services, software, and hardware.
  • Performing of tests on system behavior, security, and performance and reporting on this.
  • Providing network disaster recovery expertise and tier 4 support when needed.

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 391,300 network and computer systems administrators in 2016, of which network engineers are part. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Computer systems design and related services: 18%
  • Information: 11%
  • Educational services; state, local, and private: 10%
  • Finance and insurance: 9%
  • Management of companies and enterprises: 7%

How to Become

A bachelor’s degree in computer science, mathematics, information systems, or similar field is generally required. Additionally, it is expected that network engineers have a personal interest in computer networks and technology.

Education Requirements

In certain organizations, a post-secondary certificate is all that is required, or perhaps an associate’s degree, in order for someone to become a network engineer. However, this is increasingly rare and a bachelor’s degree is now the acceptable standard. The degree should be in a field that relates to information or computer science. Those that focus specifically on computer system and network administration have the greatest prospects.

However, it is equally acceptable for someone to have a degree in electrical or computer engineering, for instance. This is because the role of a network engineer is also closely related to maintaining equipment. What generally matters most is that they have completed classes in areas such as systems design, networking, and computer programming.

Network technology changes very rapidly and frequently. As a result, a network engineer has to be committed to lifelong learning. Throughout their career, they will have to attend IT conferences and training events to keep their knowledge up to date. This is why many now have a master’s degree.

There are no legal requirements for licensure or certification, but it is common for engineers to have to be certified at least in the systems they use. These certifications and licenses come from some vendor-neutral providers, but mainly from vendors. Those who have been certified can demonstrate that they have the relevant knowledge to implement best practice standards. Cisco and Microsoft are examples of vendors offering respected certifications for network engineers.

Traits & Qualities

The most effective network engineers have the following traits to some degree or other:

  • Strong analytical skills
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
  • Strong multitaskers
  • Excellent problem solving skills

Minimum Education

Bachelor’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Network Engineer was $88,447. This number is estimated from over 4,221,724 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $46.07 and monthly of $7,371.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$29,000

$180,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Network Engineer salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, DC had the largest quoted salary of $106,247 while Hawaii had the smallest quoted salary of $62,428.

AlaskaIdahoMontanaRhode Island
AlabamaIllinoisNorth CarolinaSouth Carolina
ArkansasIndianaNorth DakotaTennessee
ArizonaKansasNebraskaTexas
CaliforniaKentuckyNew HampshireUtah
ColoradoLouisianaNew JerseyVirginia
ConnecticutMassachusettsNew MexicoVermont
DCMarylandNevadaWashington
DelawareMaineNew YorkWisconsin
FloridaMichiganOhioWest Virginia
GeorgiaMinnesotaOklahoma
HawaiiMissouriOregon
IowaMississippiPennsylvania
Alaska$87,379Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like TEKsystems, Dekstop Engineer, Network Enginner. (IT Field), and Primastep, LLC.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$17.05

$87.40

Salary Distribution
Alabama$70,983Rank: 43rd
The average salary ranks 43rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Precision Resources, SENECA RESOURCES, TEKsystems, and CyberCoders.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$27,000

$134,000

Salary Distribution
Arkansas$71,668Rank: 41st
The average salary ranks 41st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like TEKsystems, Robert Half Technology, V Dart, Inc., and Department of Information Systems (DIS).

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$25,000

$142,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona$81,803Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like VincentBenjamin, Ashley Ellis, Maricopa County, and Focal Point Recruitment Services.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$168,000

Salary Distribution
California$100,123Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Volt, Alliance IT, DELL PRODUCTS LP, and Yahoo! Inc..

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$33,000

$203,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado$86,621Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like City and County of Denver, Fahrenheit IT, Braxstaff Technical, and VincentBenjamin.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$34,000

$163,000

Salary Distribution
Connecticut$86,165Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Transcendent Talent, Task Management, Inc., Client of Joyce Schiffer, and Kaiser Whitney Staffing.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$36,000

$157,000

Salary Distribution
DC$106,247Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Prism Inc., Hannibal Global LLC, Digital Interface, and Abacus Technology.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$37,000

$211,000

Salary Distribution
Delaware$87,126Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Jobspring Partners and Veave Technologies Pvt Ltd..

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$27,000

$180,000

Salary Distribution
Florida$78,882Rank: 26th
The average salary ranks 26th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like SNI Companies, TekPartners, TekPartners, A P2P Staffing Company, and Q Data Inc.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$32,000

$147,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$84,879Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Veredus, Ampcus Inc., Primus Software Corp, and CyberCoders.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$32,000

$162,000

Salary Distribution
Hawaii$62,428Rank: 49th
The average salary ranks 49th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Kukui IT.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$20,000

$127,000

Salary Distribution
Iowa$75,373Rank: 33rd
The average salary ranks 33rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders, Executive Resources Limited, Volt, and Robert Half Technology.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$25,000

$150,000

Salary Distribution
Idaho$94,735Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders, E Business Solutions Inc, TEKsystems, and University of Idaho.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$46,000

$160,000

Salary Distribution
Illinois$91,108Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like centraprise, Urooj Corporation, Huxley Banking & Financial Services, and Huxley Financial Services.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$32,000

$179,000

Salary Distribution
Indiana$71,766Rank: 39th
The average salary ranks 39th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like V Dart, Inc., Maganti IT Resources LLC, Pinnacle Partners, Inc, and Pinnacle Partners.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$140,000

Salary Distribution
Kansas$70,563Rank: 44th
The average salary ranks 44th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Covenant Consulting, CyberCoders, Robert Half Technology, and CRTechnical.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$23,000

$142,000

Salary Distribution
Kentucky$74,631Rank: 35th
The average salary ranks 35th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like TEKsystems, Robert Half Technology, Apex Systems, and University of Kentucky.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$24,000

$152,000

Salary Distribution
Louisiana$71,318Rank: 42nd
The average salary ranks 42nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Technology, CyberCoders, ACI Federal, and TEKsystems.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$137,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts$97,617Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Apex Sytems, Inc, weinberg and Associates, Inc., Tech Solutions IT, LLC, and Entripital Technologies Inc.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$37,000

$187,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland$94,460Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Merito Group LLC, Echostar/Hughes network, 2020 Telecom, Inc., and ENTERPRISE CONSULTING Inc.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$32,000

$189,000

Salary Distribution
Maine$75,935Rank: 32nd
The average salary ranks 32nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders and Airtel.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$28,000

$146,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan$79,612Rank: 24th
The average salary ranks 24th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Talent Advantage Group, fulltimeGiGS, OtterBase, and Meridian Staffing Services.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$29,000

$154,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota$81,701Rank: 22nd
The average salary ranks 22nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like GinasTechJobs.com, Piper Companies, Gina’s Tech Jobs, and Ginas Tech Jobs.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$34,000

$149,000

Salary Distribution
Missouri$104,943Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Tradebot, Infinity Technology Group, Transitions Recruiting, LLC, and HCL Technologies.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$25,000

$238,000

Salary Distribution
Mississippi$64,299Rank: 47th
The average salary ranks 47th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Technology, CyberCoders, and HCL Technologies.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$118,000

Salary Distribution
Montana$62,825Rank: 48th
The average salary ranks 48th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Saks IT Group.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$31,000

$95,000

Salary Distribution
North Carolina$87,853Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Jones Grove IT Recruiting, Eminence IT Solutions Inc, Zp group, and Alliance IT.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$27,000

$181,000

Salary Distribution
North Dakota$67,333Rank: 45th
The average salary ranks 45th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Express Employment Professionals and Volt.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$126,000

Salary Distribution
Nebraska$78,972Rank: 25th
The average salary ranks 25th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders, West Corporation, First Data, and Robert Half Technology.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$29,000

$153,000

Salary Distribution
New Hampshire$77,498Rank: 31st
The average salary ranks 31st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Technology, CyberCoders, RecruitersMagazine.com, and Paradigm Computer Consulting.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$32,000

$142,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey$88,313Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like MCG Health System, Datanomics, The Bartech Group, and IMS.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$28,000

$181,000

Salary Distribution
New Mexico$71,689Rank: 40th
The average salary ranks 40th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Aerotek, Esr, CyberCoders, and TEKsystems.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$24,000

$144,000

Salary Distribution
Nevada$75,248Rank: 34th
The average salary ranks 34th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders, Robert Half Technology, TEKsystems, and Irvine Technology Corp.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$35,000

$129,000

Salary Distribution
New York$98,161Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Princeton Consulting, Deutsche Resources, North Star Staffing Solutions, and Park Hudson International.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$30,000

$204,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$77,663Rank: 29th
The average salary ranks 29th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Career Brokers, Inc., Experis, CyberCoders, and Fountainhead Resources.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$27,000

$153,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma$72,921Rank: 37th
The average salary ranks 37th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders, Ally Resource Group, Verizon, and Jackson Technical L.L.C.

  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$8.95

$87.25

Salary Distribution
Oregon$82,468Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like VDart, Inc., TEKsystems, KRG Technologies Inc, and CyberCoders.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$38,000

$142,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania$84,343Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like OmniAide, isgf, Contemporary Staffing Solutions, and Professional Technology Integration, Inc..

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$30,000

$166,000

Salary Distribution
Rhode Island$74,591Rank: 36th
The average salary ranks 36th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like SSI Technical, KVH Industries, Inc., LOM Networks Inc., and Paradigm Computer Consulting.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$30,000

$138,000

Salary Distribution
South Carolina$77,529Rank: 30th
The average salary ranks 30th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Systemtec, Inc., SC Career Search, TeckPros LLC, and Globalpundits Inc.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$27,000

$153,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee$81,472Rank: 23rd
The average salary ranks 23rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like RecruitWise, IDR, Vaco, LLC, and TEKsystems.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$33,000

$151,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$86,772Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like MCG Health System, Veredus, Peak Performers, and Computer Staff, Inc..

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$34,000

$162,000

Salary Distribution
Utah$78,598Rank: 27th
The average salary ranks 27th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders, TEKsystems, Valley Behavioral Health, and University of Utah.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$23,000

$167,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia$92,799Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like NationalTechJobs, Primastep, LLC, Primastep LLC, and DISYS.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$33,000

$182,000

Salary Distribution
Vermont$66,699Rank: 46th
The average salary ranks 46th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$33,000

$109,000

Salary Distribution
Washington$84,849Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Amazon.com, MCG Technical Resources, Alliance IT, and Veredus.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$25,000

$178,000

Salary Distribution
Wisconsin$78,570Rank: 28th
The average salary ranks 28th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like 3coast, Dimax Office Solutions, Smart Solutions, Inc., and University of Wisconsin–Madison.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$31,000

$147,000

Salary Distribution
West Virginia$72,871Rank: 38th
The average salary ranks 38th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like PRECISION UTILITIES GROUP.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$142,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Network Engineer. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer NameLocationAverage Salary

Learn More

Related Careers

Career NameAverage Salary

Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

"It doesn't matter how many times you have failed, you only have to be right once." - Mark Cuban