Information Technology
Network Engineer / Architect
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
Designs and builds computer network systems, including software and hardware. Runs program and system tests, solves technical problems and maintains the network system. Designs and analyzes computer network models.
Job Outlook
There were 5498 Network Engineer / Architect job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 141800 in the United States.
In combination with other careers in the Network Engineer / Architect industry, which includes the Network Engineer / Architect career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2012:
Salary
Many new Network Engineer / Architect jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.
National
The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $113,447.
State
The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $110,705.
Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Network Engineer / Architect postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $96,358.
Education and Experience
Posted Network Engineer / Architect jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.
| Education Level | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | 5% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 64% |
| Master's Degree | 24% |
| Doctoral Degree | 1% |
| Other | 6% |
Posted Network Engineer / Architect jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Years of Experience | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 8% |
| 3 to 5 years | 39% |
| 6 to 8 years | 24% |
| 9+ years | 29% |
Skills
Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Network Engineer / Architect positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.
Baseline Skills
A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.
- Communication Skills (40%)
- Teamwork / Collaboration (32%)
- Troubleshooting (24%)
- Planning (24%)
- Problem Solving (21%)
Defining Skills
A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.
- Network Engineering (26%)
- Cisco (21%)
- Wide Area Network (WAN) (13%)
- System/Network Configuration (10%)
- Solution Architecture (10%)
Necessary Skills
A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.
- Python (15%)
- Project Management (14%)
- Java (13%)
- SQL (13%)
- Software Development (13%)
Distinguishing Skills
A skill that may distinguish a subset of the occupation.
- Cisco Switching (7%)
- VMware (7%)
- Virtualization (6%)
- Voice over IP (VoIP) (5%)
- Big Data (5%)
Alternative Job Titles
Sometimes employers post jobs with Network Engineer / Architect skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:
- Network Engineer
- Solutions Architect
- Senior Network Engineer
- Enterprise Architect
- Senior Solutions Architect
Similar Occupations
If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.
- Cisco Engineer
- Systems Engineer
- Systems Architect
- VMware Engineer / Administrator
- Cyber Security Architect
- Storage Engineer
- Solutions Engineer
Common Employers
Here are the employers that have posted the most Network Engineer / Architect jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.
United States
- Amazon (3335)
- Deloitte (2495)
- Humana (2365)
- Microsoft Corporation (2339)
- Accenture (1812)
North Carolina
- Microsoft Corporation (157)
- IBM (133)
- Deloitte (105)
- Accenture (96)
- Bank of America (74)
NC State Programs Relevant to this Career
If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!
All wages, job posting statistics, employment trend projections, and information about skill desirability on this page represents historical data and does not guarantee future conditions. Data is provided by and downloaded regularly from Burning Glass Technologies. For more information about how they gather data and what it represents, see Burning Glass Technologies - Frequently Asked Questions.