{"id":12869,"date":"2021-10-08T12:34:39","date_gmt":"2021-10-08T19:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/?p=12869"},"modified":"2023-08-18T08:12:51","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T15:12:51","slug":"how-to-become-a-network-engineer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/software-engineering\/how-to-become-a-network-engineer\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Become a Network Engineer in 7 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u200cAs the world continues to depend more on digital environments to get work done, the health of internal networks will increase in importance to company leaders. Many, if not most, of today\u2019s business functions, require a network to operate, whether it be a local area network (LAN) or wireless LAN (WLAN). When these networks experience issues, all users performing tasks are held up. This results in a quick reduction in productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, businesses now rely on VoIP to communicate across teams and with clients. When a network acts up, calls are dropped and potential business is lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u200c<\/strong>Network engineers oversee the ins and outs of all applicable systems. They ensure that business goals are aligned to network specifications and that networks are performing well. This guide will explain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What a network engineer does<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to become a network engineer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The typical salary and career path of a network engineer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Is a Network Engineer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/shutterstock_1451794160.jpg\" alt=\"What Is a Network Engineer\" class=\"wp-image-12909\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/shutterstock_1451794160.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/shutterstock_1451794160-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/shutterstock_1451794160-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/shutterstock_1451794160-380x253.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/shutterstock_1451794160-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/shutterstock_1451794160-380x253.jpg 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200cA network engineer is in charge of designing and implementing complex computer networks that companies depend on. This may include Wi-Fi\/internet, phone systems, and intranet systems. Once these infrastructures have been built and launched, the network engineer maintains it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Network engineers are expert critical thinkers and have lots of experience working within complex networks for businesses. They have a background in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/news\/introduction-to-data-analytics-career-track\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/news\/introduction-to-data-analytics-career-track\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">information technology<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/cybersecurity\/what-is-cybersecurity\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/cybersecurity\/what-is-cybersecurity\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">security<\/a> and understand the latest software and hardware trends. Many network engineers oversee multiple aspects of a network, from security and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/data-science\/data-science-buzzwords-for-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data management<\/a> to software updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u200c<\/strong>These professionals need to have the right mix of IT knowledge and problem-solving experience. They often have to respond to issues when a network is malfunctioning. And they need to be able to put proactive solutions in place to prevent problems from happening in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few common responsibilities of a network engineer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Building computer networks for a range of organization types<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Implementing any new software or hardware<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintaining and updating networks and systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Installing necessary equipment to distribute the network, including routers or servers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Managing security systems like firewalls, virus protection software, and data storage best practices (e.g. data backups)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Troubleshooting when network issues arise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Optimizing service by working with vendors and software providers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensuring network performance is always meeting the needs of the business<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delivering technical expertise to business and department leaders<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The role of a network engineer is usually not entry-level. Thus, they often have to manage other IT team members as well. Consequently, soft skills like great communication, team management, leadership, collaboration, and patience serve network engineers well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/software-engineering\/software-engineer-job-description\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"14696\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What Does a Software Engineer Do?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Become a Network Engineer in 7 Steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/shutterstock_1305224077-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"How to Become a Network Engineer in 6 Steps\" class=\"wp-image-12910\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some important steps you need to take if you\u2019re considering this career path. Here\u2019s how to get started:<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-howto\" class=\"rank-math-block\" >\n<div class=\"rank-math-howto-description\">\n\n<\/div>\n\n<ol class=\"rank-math-steps \">\n<li id=\"howto-step-1666028876818\" class=\"rank-math-step\">\n<p class=\"rank-math-step-title \">Complete a Prep Course<\/p>\n<div class=\"rank-math-step-content \"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"howto-step-1666028891477\" class=\"rank-math-step\">\n<p class=\"rank-math-step-title \">Study in a Relevant Field<\/p>\n<div class=\"rank-math-step-content \"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"howto-step-1666028896505\" class=\"rank-math-step\">\n<p class=\"rank-math-step-title \">Look at Job Posts<\/p>\n<div class=\"rank-math-step-content \"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"howto-step-1666028900780\" class=\"rank-math-step\">\n<p class=\"rank-math-step-title \">Get an Entry-Level Job<\/p>\n<div class=\"rank-math-step-content \"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"howto-step-1666028905619\" class=\"rank-math-step\">\n<p class=\"rank-math-step-title \">Talk to Industry Experts<\/p>\n<div class=\"rank-math-step-content \"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"howto-step-1666028910644\" class=\"rank-math-step\">\n<p class=\"rank-math-step-title \">Get the Right Certifications<\/p>\n<div class=\"rank-math-step-content \"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"howto-step-1690271403156\" class=\"rank-math-step\">\n<p class=\"rank-math-step-title \">Learn About Specific Products<\/p>\n<div class=\"rank-math-step-content \"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Complete a Prep Course<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200cNot sure if this is the right career track for you? Need to brush up on key skills? Either way, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/courses\/software-engineering-career-track-prep\/\">short prep course in software engineering<\/a> can really help you learn the coding skills and fundamentals you&#8217;ll need to succeed in the field. You&#8217;ll also gain access to a helpful network you can use down the road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Study in a Relevant Field<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200cMany network engineering jobs require that you have at least a bachelor\u2019s degree in a related field. However, sometimes an associate\u2019s degree is enough to get hired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Relevant degrees may include information technology, information systems, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/software-engineering\/computer-science-vs-software-engineering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">computer science<\/a>, or computer engineering. Some schools offer a program specifically in network engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all of these roles require a master\u2019s degree, including senior-level roles. But, some prefer that you have a computer science or engineering graduate degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Look at Job Posts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200cA great way to get an idea of the qualifications needed for this role is to look at current job postings. Usually, companies outline exactly what kind of tasks they need from the engineer, including education requirements and work experience. This helps you understand how you can plan out your future and gain the right certifications, degrees, and experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Get an Entry-Level Job<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200cNetwork engineering roles often require 5 to 10 years of experience working in a computer-related role. After getting your degree, look for positions like network technician, systems administrator, network administrator, computer network analyst, and similar titles. These jobs supply you with real-world experience in managing and working within a business network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Talk to Industry Experts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where you focus on a different kind of networking: growing your professional circle. Finding a mentor or connecting with an industry leader can help you understand your options and the steps you should be taking now to reach your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6. Get the Right Certifications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200cCertifications can look great on your resume while helping you harness the right skills to excel as a network engineer. Here are a few certifications to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>CompTIAA+<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CompTIASecurity+<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CompTIANetwork+<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CompTIAProject+<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ITIL Foundation Certification<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7. Learn About Specific Products<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another tip for landing a job in this field is to learn about specific devices and brands you may be using in a role. For example, some companies may require that you\u2019re experienced in using Cisco products. So, you need to either have worked with them previously or learned how they function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some vendors also allow you to get certified specifically for their products, which can be a great idea when looking for network engineering jobs. For instance, Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco, and Linux all offer brand certifications.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"bg-leaf-50 p-4 my-3\"><h4 class=\"fw-bold text-center\">Get To Know Other\tSoftware Engineering Students<\/h4><div class=\"row row-cols-1 row-cols-lg-3\"><div class=\"col\"><div class=\"card success-story-card h-100 d-flex justify-content-between mb-0\"><div class=\"flex-grow-1 text-center\"><a class=\"d-inline-block rounded-circle\" href=\"\/success\/abdelkareem-elsharief\" style=\"width:125px;height:125px;overflow:hidden\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/springboard-images\/image\/upload\/v1640121384\/Student%20Success\/Abdelkareem_ElSharief_375x375.png\" alt=\"Abdelkareem ElSharief\" style=\"object-fit:contain;max-width:170px;height:125px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"fw-bold mb-0\">Abdelkareem ElSharief<\/p><p class=\"text-muted lh-1\">Software Engineer at Bread<\/p><\/div><div class=\"w-100 d-block d-md-none mt-3\"><\/div><p class=\"mb-0 mx-auto text-center\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary mx-auto\" href=\"\/success\/abdelkareem-elsharief\">Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col d-none d-md-block\"><div class=\"card success-story-card h-100 d-flex justify-content-between mb-0\"><div class=\"flex-grow-1 text-center\"><a class=\"d-inline-block rounded-circle\" href=\"\/success\/matthew-dillon\" style=\"width:125px;height:125px;overflow:hidden\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/springboard-images\/image\/upload\/v1654055607\/Student%20Success\/Matthew_Dillon.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Dillon\" style=\"object-fit:contain;max-width:170px;height:125px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"fw-bold mb-0\">Matthew Dillon<\/p><p class=\"text-muted lh-1\">Front End Developer at LaunchBadge<\/p><\/div><p class=\"mb-0 mx-auto text-center\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary mx-auto\" href=\"\/success\/matthew-dillon\">Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col d-none d-md-block\"><div class=\"card success-story-card h-100 d-flex justify-content-between mb-0\"><div class=\"flex-grow-1 text-center\"><a class=\"d-inline-block rounded-circle\" href=\"\/success\/moshood-adeyemo\" style=\"width:125px;height:125px;overflow:hidden\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/springboard-images\/image\/upload\/v1680541570\/Moshood_Adeyemo.jpg\" alt=\"Moshood Adeyemo\" style=\"object-fit:contain;max-width:170px;height:125px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"fw-bold mb-0\">Moshood Adeyemo<\/p><p class=\"text-muted lh-1\">Software Engineer at LinkedIn<\/p><\/div><p class=\"mb-0 mx-auto text-center\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary mx-auto\" href=\"\/success\/moshood-adeyemo\">Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Network Engineer Salary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200cNow, what can you expect as far as salary? The average will vary based on the level of the role and where you\u2019re located. They can also vary based on the industry you\u2019re in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being a network engineer means that you\u2019re not confined to one type of business. You\u2019re able to work in legal, finance, education, enterprise, and many more fields, helping these companies keep their network running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/computer-and-information-technology\/computer-network-architects.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">computer network architects<\/a> make a median salary of $116,780 per year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/computer-and-information-technology\/network-and-computer-systems-administrators.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Network and computer systems administrators<\/a> make $84,810 per year. Furthermore, data from Indeed shows that network engineers make an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/career\/network-engineer\/salaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">average of $85,031 per year<\/a> across the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2134\" height=\"1068\" src=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM.png\" alt=\"Network Engineer Salary\" class=\"wp-image-12913\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM.png 2134w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM-400x200.png 400w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM-1200x601.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM-1536x769.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM-2048x1025.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM-380x190.png 380w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM-700x350.png 700w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screenshot-2021-10-08-at-11.30.48-PM-380x190.png 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2134px) 100vw, 2134px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Computer occupations, in general, are expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/computer-and-information-technology\/home.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">increase by 11%<\/a> between 2019 and 2029, with network and computer systems administrators seeing 4% growth in that period. So, pursuing a career in network engineering is worth your while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Becoming a network engineer takes the right amount of IT and network experience, education and certifications, and a problem-solving spirit. Businesses are pursuing digital transformations more than ever before. As a result, these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/cybersecurity\/these-tech-companies-are-hiring-veterans-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">technology-focused roles<\/a> aren\u2019t going anywhere anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rm has-background\" style=\"background-color:#efeff6\"><strong>Since you&#8217;re here&#8230;<\/strong><br>Interested in a career in software engineering? Join our mentor-led <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/courses\/software-engineering-career-track\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Software Engineering Bootcamp<\/a> or our foundational <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/courses\/foundations-to-core-software-engineering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Software Engineering Course<\/a> if you\u2019re just starting out. We help people make the switch every day (just peep <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/reviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our reviews<\/a>). You can do it, too!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u200cAs the world continues to depend more on digital environments to get work done, the health of internal networks will increase in importance to company leaders. Many, if not most, of today\u2019s business functions, require a network to operate, whether it be a local area network (LAN) or wireless LAN (WLAN). When these networks experience [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":12908,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","_eb_data_table":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[137],"tags":[],"marketing_tags":[1464],"class_list":{"0":"post-12869","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-software-engineering"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12869"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12869"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48543,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12869\/revisions\/48543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12869"},{"taxonomy":"marketing_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/marketing_tags?post=12869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}