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The differences between network infrastructure engineers and network support engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a network infrastructure engineer and a network support engineer. Additionally, a network support engineer has an average salary of $86,406, which is higher than the $82,895 average annual salary of a network infrastructure engineer.
The top three skills for a network infrastructure engineer include network infrastructure, switches and cloud. The most important skills for a network support engineer are switches, network support, and OSPF.
| Network Infrastructure Engineer | Network Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,895 | $86,406 |
| Hourly rate | $39.85 | $41.54 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 67,606 | 113,476 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A network infrastructure engineer designs, deploy, and secures the network of the organization. In this position, you will be required to perform site surveys and audits, ensure the company's network site meets set standards, ensure the networks function with minimum downtime, come up with strategies that help minimize operational costs, and helps the organization streamline the operations by ensuring the different systems work effectively.
A network support engineer is an information technology expert who designs and develops computer systems, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Among their responsibilities include performing installations and upgrades, configuring networks, troubleshooting issues, gathering and analyzing data to identify areas needing improvement, and recommending strategies to optimize network operations. They must also provide technical support to staff, address issues and concerns, conduct inspections, and perform repairs. Moreover, a network support engineer must regularly monitor networks while implementing the company's security and safety standards.
Network infrastructure engineers and network support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Infrastructure Engineer | Network Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,895 | $86,406 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $119,000 | Between $66,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network infrastructure engineer and a network support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Network Infrastructure Engineer | Network Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between network infrastructure engineers' and network support engineers' demographics:
| Network Infrastructure Engineer | Network Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 12.0% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |