Network Engineer / Architect
Career Area: Information Technology
Occupation Group: Network and Systems Engineering
Salary
Percentile wages tell how much a certain percentage of an overall population in a geographic area or within a given industry or field makes. The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
An example would be the 25th percentile, 25 percent of workers employed in that occupation earn less and 75 percent earn more than the estimated wage value. At the 75th percentile, 75 percent of workers employed in that occupation earn less and 25 percent earn more than the estimated wage value.
A typical Network Engineer / Architect earns the following wages (national and state):
State
The average salary in North Carolina for those pursuing this career is $110,705
National
The average salary in the United States for those pursuing this career is $113,447
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.
Employment Trends
The job demand and job growth statistics shown here were derived from job posts over the past year. Expected job growth projections are extrapolated from year-over-year job post listing history.
Job demand and job growth is expected at the following rates:
| Location | Growth | |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 5498 | +2.6% |
| Nationwide | 141800 | +5.3% |
Skills
A professional in this position typically utilizes the following skills in the course of everyday work in this exciting and challenging field:
Baseline Skills
The following are baseline skills every Network Engineer / Architect is expected to have in order to experience success in this field:
- Communication Skills: The ability to convey information to another effectively and efficiently.
- Teamwork / Collaboration: Experience working in collaborative efforts with a team to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
- Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting or dpanneuring is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system.
- Planning: Working experience with the process of thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve desired goals.
- Problem Solving: Problem solving consists of using generic or ad hoc methods, in an orderly manner, for finding solutions to problems.
Specialized Skills
These skills are specific to working in this career:
- Network Engineering: Network engineering includes planning, implementing and supporting the computer networks that support in-house voice, data, video and wireless network services.
- Cisco: Cisco Systems, Inc. (known as Cisco) is an American multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in San Jose, California, in the center of Silicon Valley, that develops, manufactures and sells networking hardware, telecommunications equipment and other high-technology services and products.
- Python: Python is a widely used high-level programming language for general-purpose programming, created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991.
- Project Management: Project management is the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria.
- Java: Java is a set of computer software and specifications developed by Sun Microsystems, which was later acquired by the Oracle Corporation, that provides a system for developing application software and deploying it in a cross-platform computing environment.
Distinguishing Skills
Any Network Engineer / Architect that possesses the following skills will stand out against the competition:
- Cisco Switching: Working experience of Cisco Switching. A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, officially MAC bridge) is a computer networking device that connects devices together on a computer network by using packet switching to receive, process, and forward data to the destination device. Cisco offers a variety of network switches.
- VMware: VMware, Inc. is a subsidiary of Dell Technologies that provides cloud computing and platform virtualization software and services.
- Virtualization: Working experience of Virtualization. Virtualization is the process of creating a software-based, or virtual, representation of something, such as virtual applications, servers, storage and networks.
- Voice over IP (VoIP): Voice over Internet Protocol (also voice over IP, VoIP or IP telephony) is a methodology and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet.
- Big Data: Big data is a term for data sets that are so large or complex that traditional data processing application software is inadequate to deal with them.
Experience
This position typically requires the following level of experience. The numbers presented in the pie charts below were derived from actual job posts over the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Experience Required | % |
| 0 to 2 years | 8% |
| 3 to 5 years | 39% |
| 6 to 8 years | 24% |
Many of the programs offered through NC State are designed for working professionals who need additional credentials to enhance existing work experience.
Students who do not have the expected level of experience may wish to look into internship and employment opportunities.
Common Job Titles
It is possible to find work in this field in positions commonly listed as the following job titles:
- Network Engineer
- Solutions Architect
- Senior Network Engineer
- Enterprise Architect
- Senior Solutions Architect
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