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Network Design Engineers play a critical role in developing and optimizing network infrastructures. The current average salary of $101,135 reflects the demand for skilled professionals in this field. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. For example, engineers in metropolitan areas often earn more due to the higher cost of living and concentration of tech companies.
In states like California and New York, salaries can exceed the national average, with positions in the telecommunications sector offering some of the highest pay. Additionally, industries such as software development and IT services tend to provide lucrative opportunities for network design engineers. Understanding these salary dynamics is essential for making informed career decisions. By researching salary estimates and industry trends, aspiring engineers can better assess their potential earnings and career paths.
For those looking to maximize their earning potential, focusing on high-demand skills and certifications can lead to advancement in this competitive field.
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The highest-paying states for network design engineers are Washington, Nevada, and Oregon. The lowest average network design engineer salary states are Wisconsin, Florida, and Missouri.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $122,289 | $58.79 |
| 2 | Oregon | $112,709 | $54.19 |
| 3 | Utah | $107,811 | $51.83 |
| 4 | Nevada | $117,324 | $56.41 |
| 5 | California | $109,353 | $52.57 |
| 6 | Vermont | $98,240 | $47.23 |
| 7 | Delaware | $99,545 | $47.86 |
| 8 | Ohio | $98,470 | $47.34 |
| 9 | Texas | $95,518 | $45.92 |
| 10 | Idaho | $101,957 | $49.02 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $96,240 | $46.27 |
| 12 | Arizona | $94,935 | $45.64 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $104,474 | $50.23 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $93,193 | $44.80 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $96,839 | $46.56 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $96,903 | $46.59 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $94,674 | $45.52 |
| 18 | Maryland | $94,413 | $45.39 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $94,229 | $45.30 |
| 20 | Virginia | $91,654 | $44.06 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $92,862 | $44.65 |
| 22 | Maine | $94,026 | $45.20 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $91,255 | $43.87 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $89,742 | $43.15 |
| 25 | Alaska | $89,594 | $43.07 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $91,050 | $43.77 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $92,445 | $44.44 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $91,389 | $43.94 |
| 29 | Georgia | $91,408 | $43.95 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $89,171 | $42.87 |
| 31 | Alabama | $85,148 | $40.94 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $90,286 | $43.41 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $89,476 | $43.02 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $86,299 | $41.49 |
| 35 | Colorado | $85,912 | $41.30 |
| 36 | Indiana | $88,565 | $42.58 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $86,000 | $41.35 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $87,813 | $42.22 |
| 39 | Michigan | $83,294 | $40.05 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $84,990 | $40.86 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $86,465 | $41.57 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $83,986 | $40.38 |
| 43 | Kansas | $84,312 | $40.53 |
| 44 | New York | $82,789 | $39.80 |
| 45 | Florida | $81,414 | $39.14 |
| 46 | Montana | $82,858 | $39.84 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $82,024 | $39.43 |
| 48 | Iowa | $76,591 | $36.82 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $77,806 | $37.41 |
| 50 | Illinois | $77,396 | $37.21 |
| 51 | Missouri | $80,219 | $38.57 |
The highest-paying cities for network design engineers are Bothell, WA, Dublin, CA, and Piscataway, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bothell, WA | $123,061 | $59.16 |
| 2 | Dublin, CA | $116,380 | $55.95 |
| 3 | Piscataway, NJ | $104,408 | $50.20 |
| 4 | Kent, OH | $99,689 | $47.93 |
| 5 | Taunton, MA | $97,175 | $46.72 |
| 6 | Raleigh, NC | $96,949 | $46.61 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $96,240 | $46.27 |
| 8 | Maplewood, MN | $94,767 | $45.56 |
| 9 | Annapolis, MD | $94,742 | $45.55 |
| 10 | Washington, DC | $94,269 | $45.32 |
| 11 | Franklin, TN | $92,693 | $44.56 |
| 12 | Arlington, VA | $92,266 | $44.36 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $91,085 | $43.79 |
| 14 | Fishers, IN | $88,525 | $42.56 |
| 15 | Pittsburgh, PA | $87,922 | $42.27 |
| 16 | Tulsa, OK | $86,653 | $41.66 |
| 17 | Colorado Springs, CO | $86,330 | $41.50 |
| 18 | Wichita, KS | $85,007 | $40.87 |
| 19 | Huntsville, AL | $83,640 | $40.21 |
| 20 | New York, NY | $82,863 | $39.84 |
A network design engineer's salary ranges from $76,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $132,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| Average | $101,135 | $8,428 | $49 |
| 25th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 10th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
The highest paying types of network design engineers are senior network engineer, network manager, and computer engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrator | $72,882 | $6,074 | $35.04 | 67,553 |
| Systems Administrator | $77,156 | $6,430 | $37.09 | 134,500 |
| NOC Technician | $45,884 | $3,824 | $22.06 | 48,270 |
| Network Support Analyst | $83,921 | $6,993 | $40.35 | 118,825 |
| Network Support Technician | $48,622 | $4,052 | $23.38 | 120,245 |
| Network Consultant | $89,303 | $7,442 | $42.93 | 58,194 |
Top companies hiring network design engineers now:
Network design engineer salaries at Google and Amazon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average network design engineer salary at companies like Nokia and Unisys are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $136,849 | $65.79 | |
| 2 | Amazon | $124,360 | $59.79 |
| 3 | Nokia | $109,542 | $52.66 |
| 4 | Unisys | $108,900 | $52.36 |
| 5 | ADARA Networks | $106,016 | $50.97 |
| 6 | Bt Financial Group | $105,941 | $50.93 |
| 7 | Advanced Computer Concepts | $105,090 | $50.52 |
| 8 | AT&T | $104,467 | $50.22 |
| 9 | Publix | $103,275 | $49.65 |
| 10 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $102,676 | $49.36 |
| 11 | California Institute of Technology | $101,663 | $48.88 |
| 12 | Aviat Networks | $101,232 | $48.67 |
| 13 | The Building People | $99,267 | $47.72 |
| 14 | BT Group | $98,847 | $47.52 |
| 15 | Jacobs Enterprises | $98,041 | $47.14 |
| 16 | Umg Recordings Services Inc. | $98,036 | $47.13 |
| 17 | Alcatel Networks Inc | $98,036 | $47.13 |
| 18 | Ulterius Technologies | $97,987 | $47.11 |
| 19 | Cox Communications | $97,869 | $47.05 |
| 20 | Burns & McDonnell | $97,029 | $46.65 |
The average network design engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $100,333 | $48.24 |
| 2 | Retail | $100,295 | $48.22 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $99,533 | $47.85 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $98,057 | $47.14 |
The average network design engineer salary has risen by $18,455 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average network design engineer earned $82,680 annually, but today, they earn $101,135 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for network design engineers over the last decade.
Compare network design engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare network design engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $101,000 | $48.62 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $97,800 | $47.02 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $95,600 | $45.96 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $94,500 | $45.42 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $92,900 | $44.64 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Tactical Data Network Design Engineer & Equipment Manager | Tukwila, WA | 06/30/2025 | $128,350 |
| Amazon | Network Development Engineer, Routing Performance and Design Engineering | Seattle, WA | 06/28/2025 | $127,400 |
| Boeing | Tactical Data Network Design Engineer & Equipment Manager | Tukwila, WA | 06/27/2025 | $128,350 |
| Siemens Energy | Design Team Production Network Engineer | Olean, NY | 06/23/2025 | $60,000 |
| Actalent | Network Design Engineer | Fairfax, VA | 06/18/2025 | $104,350 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Data Center Network Design Engineer | Dallas, TX | 06/09/2025 | $90,000 |
| General Dynamics | Submarine Combat System Network Design Engineer | Manassas, VA | 06/05/2025 | $142,678 |
| General Dynamics Mission Systems | Submarine Combat System Network Design Engineer | Manassas, VA | 06/05/2025 | $142,678 |
| Belcan | Network Design Engineer | Scottsdale, AZ | 05/30/2025 | $131,773 |
| at&T | Specialist Network Design Engineer (Government) | Oakton, VA | 05/25/2025 | $79,200 |
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