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Job outlook for network communications technicians in the United States
Network communications technician job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected network communications technician job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 18,200 new jobs for network communications technicians are projected over the next decade.
Network communications technician salaries have increased 9% for network communications technicians in the last 5 years.
There are over 33,529 network communications technicians currently employed in the United States.
There are 52,657 active network communications technician job openings in the US.
The average network communications technician salary is $51,650.
Are network communications technician jobs in demand?
Network communications technician job and salary trends over time
Network communications technician jobs over time
Network communications technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33,529 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 73,491 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 31,630 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 26,432 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 27,066 | 0.01% |
Average network communications technician salary over time
Network communications technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,650 | $24.83 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $49,948 | $24.01 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $48,818 | $23.47 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $48,252 | $23.20 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $47,419 | $22.80 | +2.4% |
Network communications technician jobs by state
Most common states for network communications technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 475 | 68% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 220 | 30% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 159 | 25% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 233 | 24% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,973 | 23% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,149 | 19% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,055 | 19% |
| 8 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 104 | 18% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 233 | 17% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,098 | 16% |
| 11 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 218 | 16% |
| 12 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 140 | 16% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 476 | 15% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 503 | 14% |
| 15 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 441 | 14% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 144 | 14% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 104 | 14% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 241 | 13% |
| 19 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,250 | 12% |
| 20 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 219 | 12% |
Network Communications Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of network communications technician experts
California State University - East Bay
University of Indianapolis
Governors State University
Tufts University
Slippery Rock University
Stetson University
Saint Peter's University
American University
Dr. Bobby Roohparvar Ph.D.
Professor of Computer Science and Computer EngineeringCalifornia State University - East Bay
Computer Systems Networking And Telecommunications
What Network Communications Technician 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.*
Laura Kier
Network Design and Administration InstructorWhat general advice would you give to a Network Communications Technician?
Laura Kier: Students graduating from the Computer Network Design and Administration program will enter the job market with a solid foundation in networking technologies. Above that they should also be able to develop and demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Networking has a strong emphasis on teamwork and being able to communicate well with customers, co-workers and teammates is vital. Attaining certifications in Cisco, Linux, Windows, and security will also help the student stand out within the industry (classes in the program help to learn the knowledge needed to attain certifications). Students should participate in any local or online communities and groups to enhance skills and knowledge and find networking opportunities.
What Network Communications Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Laura Kier: Computer Networking is a dynamic field with a wide variety of opportunities in many different industries. Some skills that will be more important in general are skills in software defined networking and automation. Skills in the DevOps field will be necessary, as well as skills leveraging AI tools. Cybersecurity is always important and using AI tools to enhance security and monitoring is necessary.
What will help Network Communications Technicians 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.
Dr. Katie Greenan Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Indianapolis
Department of Communication
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Network Communications Technician job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Katie Greenan Ph.D.: Research shows the job market continuing to shrink. Remote work will continue to normalize beyond the pandemic. The technology field was vast prior to the pandemic and will be even larger post pandemic. The same is true for the healthcare industry. What they have in common is communication, and communication never goes out of style. In order to succeed in any career - to keep a job - an individual must know how to write, speak, listen, and get along with others whether face-to-face or virtually.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Network Communications Technicians?
Dr. Katie Greenan Ph.D.: Enrolling in an online public speaking course is practical since much of our work is virtual. It's important to practice delivery skills via technology and learn how to gesture effectively from the waist up, provide eye contact to connect with the audience, and position the camera and lighting. Companies can bring in consultants to train employees. This course would benefit every professional across all industries. It would also be valuable to recent graduates interviewing for jobs.
What's a good job out of college for Network Communications Technicians?
Dr. Katie Greenan Ph.D.: There are two types. The first is electronic media. Companies are constantly seeking employees who can fill entry-level jobs in social media and marketing. I'm seeing more and more job advertisements for social media influencers, too. I suggest recent graduates visit a handful of companies' websites and search "jobs." Chances are they'll find openings. Second, with the new administration in Washington, D.C., there is policy-related work that can provide recent graduates with entry-level jobs. After working in the political arena and gaining unparalleled experience, one thing will lead to the next, and they can go anywhere.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Network Communications Technicians in the next 5 years?
Stephen Hyzny: As everything involves technology, more educated people will need it in the future. As our cars, houses, and lives connect, people will be required to make it all work.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Network Communications Technician job market given the pandemic?
Ming Chow: -Need to hit the ground running as many employees and companies don't have the time, energy, and training infrastructure.
-The soft skills, including communications, how to deal with change and the basics are becoming more critical-things like using a calendar, following-up, etc.
Abdou Karim Jallow Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSlippery Rock University
Department of Information Systems
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Network Communications Technicians?
Abdou Karim Jallow Ph.D.: It is obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and transformed the lives of many people, including students all over the world. A major effect is requiring students to stay and learn from home because of the closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure. Missing saying the traditional goodbye to friends, fraternities, and sororities, and having to watch commencement ceremonies in bedrooms online will leave an indelible mark in graduates.
This means a great U-shift in memories of college life, including physical interaction and learning environment, and systems adopting a new way of doing things. Graduates will enter the job market with uncertainties of availability of traditional jobs and how to work in a new normal. Many graduates will find themselves having to search for jobs virtually and having to start working remotely from the beginning in most cases and in most industries. What would have been a new beginning, along with the excitement of stepping through the doors of the new office and career, will not be there physically. This will have an impact on these graduates because of the transformation of society as a result of the pandemic.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Network Communications Technicians to find work opportunities?
Abdou Karim Jallow Ph.D.: Sometimes new graduates from college can find it hard to get the perfect or preferred job location. This may be different for those with information sciences or information systems and related degrees. Luckily there are big companies, multinational companies as well as some-sized enterprises who need skills in that discipline. Most of these can be found in some of the big cities beyond Silicon Valley such as NY, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Denver, Colorado, Philadelphia, Chicago, DC, Charlotte, Houston, Boston, Dallas, and Minneapolis, just to name a few.
Some of these locations are where some of the big tech companies reside, such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, IBM, HP, SAP, etc. The advantage of this degree is that graduates not only can work for tech companies but any company because of the need to manage data, information, process, and technology. Companies all over have or are putting together strategies to harness the potential of big data, and graduates with information sciences, information systems, and related degrees are sought after continuously.
How do you envision technology impacting Network Communications Technicians in the next 5 years?
Abdou Karim Jallow Ph.D.: The trend we have witnessed in the past two decades in terms of development in technology is unprecedented. This has a ripple effect on the field of information sciences and systems. Most traditional jobs have changed or rebranded. For example, consider how information and data processing and management (IDPM) has revolutionized into what is today information management or management information systems; business intelligence is almost transformed into business analytics, data science; high-performance computing, and grid computing is today predominantly engulfed by cloud computing services.
These are changing how data and information are managed. The decision-making process is changing in various information and knowledge-intensive and process-oriented industries such as healthcare, banking, transportation, engineering, education, security, just to name a few, despite the fact that roles and services still remain. New and emerging disciplines and services are added, driven by the advancement and greater capabilities of technology. Without a doubt, in the next few years, data and information services will be revolutionized by technology hugely. Consider the development in artificial intelligence, data science, blockchain, 5G, and broadband networks, all of which have huge potential to impact the discipline. This means that information sciences and information systems courses must adapt to take into consideration the emerging skills required by the professionals and businesses of the future. The education and training of professionals in this domain have to be continuously changing to prepare graduates adequately.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Network Communications Technicians?
Dr. Hala ElAarag: I didn't see any negative impact of coronavirus on our graduates. Our graduates did not have any problem finding internships and jobs during the pandemic. After the pandemic, there will be even more demand and opportunities for our graduates.
How do you envision technology impacting Network Communications Technicians in the next 5 years?
Dr. Hala ElAarag: In our field, it might be more appropriate the other way around. I would like to rephrase the question as to how does the computer science field impact technology in the next five years? The answer is tremendous. With fields like quantum computing, artificial intelligence, visual, and augmented reality making great strides, there is no doubt that we will witness a revolution in technology in the next five years.
How do you envision technology impacting Network Communications Technicians in the next 5 years?
Edward Moskal: Technology will have a significant impact over the next five years. While technology associated with the software, databases, blockchain, cloud computing, and cybersecurity will still have an impact, we are likely to see significant changes and advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, combinations of augmented and mixed reality, and quantum computing. Industry and business will be driving these advancements, in particular, the healthcare industry and large tech companies like Google and Facebook that have already started establishing a strong presence in these fields.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Network Communications Technicians to find work opportunities?
Kathleen Riley: My computer science students from the class of 2020 had a variety of experiences when they entered the job market after graduation. Those who had already signed on at companies like Amazon or Google, whose business stayed strong during the pandemic and whose workplace models adjusted easily to remote work, had a relatively easy time starting their industry jobs. Others, especially those who had planned to work for companies whose business depended on clients or industries which suffered under the pandemic, saw delays, changes in their work plans, and even cancellations of contracts; several found themselves job hunting again over the summer, interviewing remotely and having to assess companies without setting foot outside their own home. Fortunately, there are still a lot of jobs out there for Computer Science graduates, and most of the students I know have found other placements or are well into that process.
We all know about the abundance of computer science opportunities in the Silicon Valley, the Dulles Technology corridor, and other tech hubs, but there is also an abundance of computer science opportunities in large and small cities throughout the country. In addition to businesses whose focus or products are technology-related, many other businesses have significant technology and computer science needs that are provided in-house, and those who thrive and survive will continue to hire.