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Job outlook for network and communication engineers in the United States
Network and communication engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected network and communication engineer job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 18,200 new jobs for network and communication engineers are projected over the next decade.
Network and communication engineer salaries have increased 9% for network and communication engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 81,185 network and communication engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 48,673 active network and communication engineer job openings in the US.
The average network and communication engineer salary is $89,993.
Are network and communication engineer jobs in demand?
Network and communication engineer job and salary trends over time
Network and communication engineer jobs over time
Network and communication engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 81,185 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 64,781 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 33,617 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 30,900 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 31,655 | 0.01% |
Average network and communication engineer salary over time
Network and communication engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $89,993 | $43.27 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $87,028 | $41.84 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $85,057 | $40.89 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $84,073 | $40.42 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $82,621 | $39.72 | +2.4% |
Network and communication engineer jobs by state
Most common states for network and communication engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 537 | 77% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,072 | 24% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,168 | 19% |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 918 | 16% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 117 | 16% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 117 | 12% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 330 | 11% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 71 | 11% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 757 | 10% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 703 | 10% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 420 | 10% |
| 12 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,372 | 9% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 126 | 9% |
| 14 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 395 | 8% |
| 15 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 119 | 8% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 84 | 8% |
| 17 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 66 | 8% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 48 | 8% |
| 19 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 502 | 7% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 269 | 7% |
Most common cities for network and communication engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntsville | 2 | 1% | $70,269 |
| 2 | Palmdale | 1 | 1% | $103,807 |
| 3 | Redondo Beach | 1 | 1% | $100,812 |
| 4 | Colorado Springs | 1 | 0% | $82,612 |
| 5 | Huntington Beach | 1 | 0% | $99,798 |
| 6 | Norfolk | 1 | 0% | $89,101 |
| 7 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $71,164 |
| 8 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $97,524 |
Network And Communication Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of network and communication engineer experts
California State University - East Bay
Northwood University
Albertus Magnus College
University of Washington
Bakersfield College
Portland State University
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
University of New Hampshire
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Northeastern University
Indiana University Bloomington
Kennesaw State University
Pennsylvania State University - Great Valley
Dr. Bobby Roohparvar Ph.D.
Professor of Computer Science and Computer EngineeringCalifornia State University - East Bay
Computer Systems Networking And Telecommunications
What general advice would you give to a Network And Communication Engineer?
Dr. Bobby Roohparvar Ph.D.: *The anxiety of AI is likely to change the landscape of computer networking, is a real threat but in my opinion, it won't eliminate the need for human network engineers. The focus will likely shift towards more strategic tasks, complex problem-solving, and leveraging AI tools to improve network efficiency and security.*
*Here again, I will explain in more detail about the expectation and future of Comp. Network Eng.*
* 1. AI Augments, Not Replaces: While AI can automate some network tasks, like data analysis and basic troubleshooting, it won't replace the need for human network engineers. It will increase the productivity for sure; Complex problem-solving, strategic decision-making, and human judgment are still crucial in network management. AI will likely become a valuable tool that assists network engineers in their tasks, making them more efficient.*
*2. Growing Demand: Our reliance on technology and data is constantly increasing. Businesses and organizations need secure, reliable networks to function. This necessitates a skilled workforce to design, implement, maintain, and secure these networks. The demand for qualified network engineers is expected to grow in the coming years.*
*In our technology horizon, I can see the quantum internet coming and I can see the demand for network engineering accelerate.*
*3. Diverse Skillset: A strong foundation in computer networking equips you with a versatile skillset. You'll understand network protocols, security concepts, and troubleshooting methodologies. These skills are valuable across the IT field and can be applied to areas like cloud computing, data center operations, or even cybersecurity. Data Centers for AI are becoming a huge opportunity for Comp Network Eng.*
What Network And Communication Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Bobby Roohparvar Ph.D.: *Favor:*
*Variety: Each day presents new challenges and opportunities for problem-solving.*
*Demand: The field offers strong job growth and stability.*
*Impact: Your work ensures businesses and organizations remain connected and operational.*
*Learning: There's always something new to learn with emerging technologies.*
*Dislike:*
*Troubleshooting: Issues can be complex and take a lot of time to resolve.*
*On-call: Network problems can occur at any time, requiring on-call availability.*
*Pressure: Maintaining network uptime can be stressful, especially during critical periods.*
*Keeping Up-to-Date: Rapid technological changes necessitate continuous learning.*
What will help Network And Communication Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Bobby Roohparvar Ph.D.: *Computer Networking Engineers are crucial in designing, building, maintaining, and troubleshooting complex networks. They need strong technical skills, analytical abilities, and strategic thinking to ensure smooth network operations.*
*A bit more detailed explanation of the Computer Networking Engineers responsibility:*
*Designing and Implementing Networks: This essential task involves creating new networks or significantly upgrading existing ones. It includes understanding organizational requirements, planning capacity, selecting the right hardware and software, and configuring these components for optimal performance and security.*
*Network Automation: Engineers automate routine tasks using scripting languages like Python or tools such as Cisco automation software. This automation not only saves time but also ensures consistent configurations.*
*Troubleshooting Complex Issues: They tackle intricate network problems by analyzing traffic patterns, identifying bottlenecks, optimizing performance, and resolving complex connectivity or security issues.*
*Staying Updated with Technology: As the networking field evolves rapidly, engineers must keep up with new technologies, emerging security threats, and best practices through conferences, online forums, and continuous learning.*
Laura Kier
Network Design and Administration InstructorWhat will help Network And Communication Engineers increase their earning potential?
Laura Kier: Learn to present your skills well from the interview and into your career. Those communication skills count! Industry certifications like CCNA matter. They help you demonstrate a willingness to grow and learn beyond what was required for your degree. Be willing to take on new challenges with your new job and keep learning new skills. It is really important for graduates to understand that talented IT professionals can move up quickly in a company, but they often must start at the bottom to showcase their technical and soft skills. Because of that, they should not shy away from entry level jobs if there is potential for growth.
Professor David Sanford
Associate Professor an Department Chair (MIS, CS, CYB MGT, IS CYB)Northwood University
Computer And Information Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Network And Communication Engineer?
Professor David Sanford: Workers like that they are challenged to solve problems and lead technological innovations.
They appreciate the diversity of projects
They enjoy the need for continuous improvement and education
Many see the global impact of their work.
They also desire and appreciate the need for versatile skills
A competitive salary is also an item that employees like
Workers dislike that the work can be stressful
Dealing with tight deadlines and/ or cybersecurity concerns.
This is a positive and a negative: The need to constantly stay up to date with technology can be a bit overwhelming for some.
There may be times of isolation, and
The unexpected system failures can be frustrating as they often require extra hours or the need to be on-call.
The multiple responsibilities and managing repetitive tasks are also issues workers point out in this field.
In short, the workplace offers exciting opportunities but comes with its fair share of pressures and challenges. Different people have different experiences based on their roles and personal preferences.
David Garaventa
Director, Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity Programs, Assistant Professor, CISAlbertus Magnus College
Business Administration and Management Department
What skills stand out on Network And Communication Engineer resumes?
David Garaventa: The skills/attributes required across a variety of jobs in the IT fields.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Network And Communication Engineers?
Les Atlas: Most certainly an impact, a very strong impact. The best lesson for us is from the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic. That strain of flu still circulates as a seasonal virus. Over 100 years laters, it is now considered a Phase 6 pandemic by the World Health Organization. While it is reduced due to current social distancing and mask wearing, the 1919 Spanish Flu virus still causes community-level outbreaks in multiple parts of the globe. Societal changes from this event of over 100 years ago are still with us.
In fact, they changed society. As is well-documented, after a high level of immunity was reached in the 1920's, the resulting labor shortage enabled workers to demand better living and working conditions, as well as better wages and public health care. As just one example of the societal changes due to the 1919 pandemic, the drop in the male labor force empowered male workers, and also changed the gender composition.
The aftermath of the 1919 pandemic was the start of women joining the labour force. In the United States, the proportion of women in the labour force rose from 18 per cent in 1900 to almost 21 per cent in 1920. In that same year, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, the Congress of the United States guaranteed all American women the right to vote.
The current COVID-19 pandemic will certainly change the way we live, be it our mobility or the kinds of career options people have. After our current year-long experience in remote learning and work, will we go back to the inefficiencies of going to our office every work day? Or will remote work be acceptable, where one's residence will not be dependent upon the locations of employment. Will we avoid future hotspots of infection, choosing to instead reside and travel in areas where infection is decreasing? Will we prefer to travel on aircraft which are certified to be virus-free and frequent restaurants which are documented to be safer? Future marketing will likely make a sharp turn in this direction.
What experience really stands out on Network And Communication Engineer resumes?
Les Atlas: The most obvious experience, in terms of being timely, is work with the science and data interpretation from the current pandemic. Epidemiology and statistics, computer science, and data science for data from the COVID-19 epidemic and similar public health data will remain on the forefront. In the many other areas of technology, having up to date skills, with advanced degrees, combined with the ability to work anywhere in the world, not by traveling, but instead remotely, will likely fit most future positions.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Network And Communication Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Maryam Farahani: In my opinion, technology will play a much bigger role in our day-to-day life compared to the pre-pandemic world. Artificial intelligence and robotics will have a boost in employment numbers. Companies like Amazon, Walmart, Targets and etc, will need more IT and technology specialists to meet their customer's need for online shopping and supplying/delivering products to their customers. Jobs like programmers, data analysts, and technology support positions will have a rise in response to the change in the market due to pandemic.
For so many of the jobs, the need for a physical office is under question now, many employees are working from home and managing/coordinating their projects virtually. This will change the job market forever and job seekers need to learn new skills to adjust to this change.
Right now, healthcare-related job opportunities are growing in response to the rising need. In addition to doctors and nurses, there will be needs for management roles, accountants, technology supports, and lab technicians in health care industry.
What Network And Communication Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Maryam Farahani: The best approach is researching skills and technologies required in their field of education or their field of work. Specially if there are simulation software/skills presented in their schools (related to their field of work/study), they should not miss the opportunity to learn them. These type of trainings are much less expensive in school and help them to standout in the pool of candidates in current competitive job market. Plus the hiring companies will save time/money for training the trained candidates, and it gives the trained candidates higher chance of employment.
Dr. Wayne Wakeland Ph.D.
Professor and Systems Science Program ChairPortland State University
Systems science program
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Network And Communication Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Wayne Wakeland Ph.D.: Obviously, there is and will continue to be increased receptivity to (and necessity of) working remotely. This is likely to benefit some job seekers. On the other hand, the weakened economy, which may take years to recover, means that less jobs are/will be available, and, therefore, the competition for attractive jobs will be intense.
What Network And Communication Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Wayne Wakeland Ph.D.: For analyst positions, I think that employers want to hire people with strong data analysis skills, which, of course, includes statistics, but also big data, machine learning (algorithms), computer-based modeling, and programming. And, in addition to these apparently rather specialized skills, there is growing recognition that a talent for thinking, communicating, and problem-solving in a very general sense, and being able to cope with/address complexity, is also quite important.
What general advice would you give to a Network And Communication Engineer?
Dr. Wayne Wakeland Ph.D.: Develop a thoughtful combination of technical skills/expertise and qualitative resources/assets/prowess. Purely technical savvy can go a long way, but it is not enough. Employers are eager to hire well-rounded, easy to work with employees and leaders who can go deeper technically as required.
Dr. T.S. Kalkur
Department ChairUniversity of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Network And Communication Engineers?
Dr. T.S. Kalkur: Yes, students complained that, while they are earning an online degree, they aren't learning as much.
What experience really stands out on Network And Communication Engineer resumes?
Dr. T.S. Kalkur: Internship experience and tools used in design.
Marc Lessard
ProfessorUniversity of New Hampshire
Physics and Astronomy Department and Space Science Center
What type of skills will young Network And Communication Engineers need?
Marc Lessard: This is a very good and important question. Graduates who can address complex problems in creative ways will be the most successful. This might sound obvious, but there seems to be a trend developing where younger engineers tend to want to follow written procedures or instructions for solving problems.
What is more valuable, of course, is being able to use a broad-based background to provide new and creative solutions, or at least to suggest new ideas and engage in discussions to further develop those ideas. The cliche of "thinking outside the box" will always be important.
What experience really stands out on Network And Communication Engineer resumes?
Marc Lessard: Students who have been significantly involved in research projects have a distinct advantage over those who haven't. Those who began such work (which is typically paid) as sophomores or juniors often will have played a significant role in these real-world research efforts, which can be very different than what might be tackled as part of a capstone project.
Written and oral presentation skills are also essential!
Austin McCoy
Director of Javelina Engineering Student Success CenterTexas A&M University - Kingsville
Engineering Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Network And Communication Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Austin McCoy: -Adapting to the virtual setting
Remote work is becoming more of an option for employees.
What skills stand out on Network And Communication Engineer resumes?
Austin McCoy:
-Internship/co-op experience -Research experience
-Good leadership skills and involvement on campus and in the community and activities where the individual works as part of a team.
-Well written resume can tell a lot about the technical writing skill; a resume needs to be clean and comfortable to read; recruiters can find what they are looking for easily.
-Less is sometimes more because students sometimes will put more information on a resume than is pertinent to the position applying for.
What Network And Communication Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Laura A. Meyer M. Ed.: Students should really be working on honing the skills in their areas of focus and interest. With that said, they should also work toward becoming more well-rounded in all areas. A few of my students have realized through job postings, they have found that although they may want to work in data, knowing the basics of programming will be useful as well.
Dr. Ariful Azad Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Studies for the Dept. of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Assistant Professor of Intelligent Systems EngineeringIndiana University Bloomington
Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Network And Communication Engineer?
Dr. Ariful Azad Ph.D.: Look for a job that you would enjoy doing, even if it takes some time to find such a position. Internships are great to explore various options.
What experience really stands out on Network And Communication Engineer resumes?
Adeel Khalid Ph.D.: It is the age of diversity. A graduate can stand out when their resume shows a broad portfolio of experiences. In addition to a solid academic record, students who demonstrate that they can take on challenging tasks and work beyond a degree's basic requirements are more likely to be successful. I advise students to get involved in various activities, including undergraduate research projects, student design competitions, student organizations, internships, co-ops, etc. All of these should be highlighted on the resume. When a recruiter sees an overview of a student that shows relevant work experience in the form of work-study, internships, or co-op or research, their resume automatically comes to the top of the pile.
What experience really stands out on Network And Communication Engineer resumes?
Nil Ergin Ph.D.: Knowledge of analytical skills, methods, and tools for analysis, design, and management of complex systems and experience working with interdisciplinary teams are essential for systems engineering professionals. Experience in applying systems thinking and design thinking approaches to understanding organization, technical, and non-technical factors that influence the design and performance of complex systems stands out on resumes.
How do you envision technology impacting Network And Communication Engineers in the next 5 years?
Nil Ergin Ph.D.: Advances in sensors, networking, communication, and computing are shaping the systems and services that are designed and deployed. Systems are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected; thus, more challenging to manage. Systems engineering discipline is becoming an essential element of managing and designing these systems. The field is evolving to address the challenges emerging from these advances in technology, including but not limited to, methods and tools to improve system resiliency, flexibility, agility, security, privacy, along with new ways to manage, design, and evaluate complexity.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Network And Communication Engineers?
Nil Ergin Ph.D.: The pandemic disrupts all systems. With disruptions, new forms of services, delivery formats, and jobs will emerge. One overall result of the epidemic is that tech companies consider allowing employees to work remotely, beyond the end of the pandemic. Emerging work from the home norm will enable companies to hire a diverse and distributed workforce and compete for technical talent nationwide. This will also create a demand for IT capabilities and create a network of shared workspaces. Graduates need to diversify their skill sets to adapt and be agile to new forms of change.