How To Become A Senior Network Consultant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior network consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Bobby Roohparvar Ph.D.

When in-house network professionals are not enough to manage a thorny network problem or a client does not have network administrators at all, they may hire a senior network consultant. Senior network consultants are experts in network systems, and they help clients set up, upgrade, and troubleshoot their networks.

Senior network consultants work with clients to develop better, more efficient ways of using their networks. Their day-to-day tasks depend on the needs of each client. Some days, they can manage a network-wide upgrade, other days they develop plans in case of a disaster, while others they work closely with in-house network engineers to identify any problem areas and potential solutions.

A senior network consultant can work for a consulting firm or strike out on their own as a freelancer. They usually don't work full-time in any particular office but manage networks for multiple clients, swooping in whenever there is a problem. The goal of the senior network consultant is to provide advice so that ultimately the client can do most of the work themselves.

What general advice would you give to a senior network consultant?

Dr. Bobby Roohparvar Ph.D.

Professor of Computer Science and Computer Engineering, California State University - East Bay

*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.*

ScoreSenior Network ConsultantUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $98,825

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 13.76%

Black or African American 7.96%

Hispanic or Latino 11.68%

Unknown 5.01%

White 61.28%

Gender

female 9.91%

male 90.09%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior network consultant

Explore senior network consultant education requirements

Most common senior network consultant degrees

Bachelor's

70.7 %

Associate

14.7 %

Master's

10.3 %

Start to develop specific senior network consultant skills

Skills	Percentages
Visio	9.60%
Firewall	3.88%
Project Management	3.87%
BGP	3.59%
Nexus	3.41%

Complete relevant senior network consultant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior network consultants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior network consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior network consultant resumes.

Research senior network consultant duties and responsibilities

Manage design of DNS gTLD architecture.
Lead and supervise team of 15 staff members through complex-wide efforts to port-map network switches in over 100 residential dormitories.
Excele at managing major network-wide upgrades; improve speed and predictability of multicast and order-routing data.
Configure NAT solution's on Cisco IOS routers.

Get senior network consultant experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior network consultant. The most common roles before becoming a senior network consultant include network engineer, senior network engineer team lead and network administrator.

Prepare your senior network consultant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior network consultant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior network consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable senior network consultant resume templates

Build a professional senior network consultant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior network consultant resume.

Apply for senior network consultant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a senior network consultant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do senior network consultants rate their job?

-/5

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Senior network consultant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Pros

I love the fact that I have self taught myself by trouble shooting issues for fifteen years while working in corrections as the Video court officer with no prior experince or degree

Cons

I dislike the fact that I don't get paid as a Video technician although I'm called to fix issues