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The differences between communications engineers and network engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a communications engineer, becoming a network engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a network engineer has an average salary of $83,557, which is higher than the $83,540 average annual salary of a communications engineer.
The top three skills for a communications engineer include RF, unified communications and unity. The most important skills for a network engineer are switches, troubleshoot, and network infrastructure.
| Communications Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,540 | $83,557 |
| Hourly rate | $40.16 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 71,942 | 72,346 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
The duties of a communications engineer depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around designing and developing new systems to optimize operations, performing research and assessments to identify company needs, determining the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and providing solutions on issues and concerns. Furthermore, as a communications engineer, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs. They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations.
Communications engineers and network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Average salary | $83,540 | $83,557 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $111,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Shearman & Sterling | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a communications engineer and a network engineer in terms of educational background:
| Communications Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between communications engineers' and network engineers' demographics:
| Communications Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |