The BLS numbers for both occupations
| Measure | Administrators (15-1244) | Architects (15-1241) |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage, May 2025 | $99,130 | $134,050 |
| Jobs, 2025 | 323,600 | 181,800 |
| Projected change, 2025 to 2035 | −4% (decline) | +8% |
| Projected openings per year | About 13,400 | About 9,600 |
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor’s degree | Bachelor’s degree |
| Related work experience | None listed | 5 years or more |
Sources: BLS, network and computer systems administrators and BLS, computer network architects; both pages modified August 27, 2026. BLS revises these pages yearly.
Reading the table
- Median annual wage
- Half the workers in the occupation earned more than this in May 2025, and half earned less. It is a midpoint, not a starting offer.
- SOC code
- The Standard Occupational Classification number BLS files the data under. Job titles map onto it; 15-1244 and 15-1241 are the two that matter here.
- Projected change
- The BLS estimate of employment growth or decline over 2025 to 2035 for the whole occupation.
- Openings per year
- Projected openings, which include replacing workers who retire or change occupations, so openings exist even in a declining occupation.
Why no certification pay figure exists here
Pay figures attached to a single certification come from employer ads or self-reported surveys, and their methods vary. BLS does not split wages by credential, and Cisco’s own CCNA FAQ points instead to the Pearson VUE 2025 Value of Certification Report, a survey across many certifications. Its results describe certified professionals in general, so we do not restate them as a CCNA number (Cisco CCNA FAQ).
What BLS does say about credentials is narrower: employers may require network administrators to be certified in the products they use. A CCNA is a way to show that for Cisco networks. Where it leads next is laid out on the Cisco certification path.
Starting pay and senior pay
BLS publishes the median, and the median sits in the middle of the occupation, so a first networking job usually pays below it. Entry seats such as help desk or NOC technician often sit in other occupations altogether, which is one more reason to read the two medians as destinations.
Senior titles that design networks line up with the architect occupation, where BLS lists five years or more of related experience and a median $34,920 above the administrator median for May 2025. That gap separates two occupations; no certificate carries it.
To use the table on a real offer, match the job description to an occupation first. A role that operates, patches and monitors an existing network compares against the administrator median; a role that designs new networks, plans capacity and signs off on topology compares against the architect median. Location, industry and on-call duty then move an individual offer in either direction.
Pay questions
What is the median network engineer salary?
BLS has no occupation titled network engineer. The closest: network and computer systems administrators, median $99,130, and computer network architects, median $134,050 (May 2025, BLS).
Is the field growing?
BLS projects a 4% decline for administrators over 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings a year, and 8% growth for architects, with about 9,600 openings a year.
Does a CCNA raise pay?
No public data set isolates it. BLS reports pay by occupation; it notes that employers may require certification in the products they use.
What education do these jobs list?
A bachelor’s degree for both occupations, per BLS; architects also list five years or more of related work.
References
- [1]BLS: Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsSOC 15-1244; May 2025 wages, 2025 to 2035 projections. Checked October 29, 2026.
- [2]BLS: Computer Network ArchitectsSOC 15-1241; May 2025 wages, 2025 to 2035 projections. Checked October 29, 2026.
- [3]Cisco: CCNA certification page and FAQsalary FAQ cites a general certification survey. Checked October 29, 2026.