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The differences between senior network 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 senior network engineer and a network support engineer. Additionally, a senior network engineer has an average salary of $111,707, which is higher than the $86,406 average annual salary of a network support engineer.
The top three skills for a senior network engineer include switches, BGP and OSPF. The most important skills for a network support engineer are switches, network support, and OSPF.
| Senior Network Engineer | Network Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,707 | $86,406 |
| Hourly rate | $53.71 | $41.54 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 35,428 | 113,476 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior network engineer is responsible for managing the organization's network infrastructure, handling advanced network issues, upgrading the system's design for optimization, configuring network features, and ensuring the network's highest security measures to avoid unauthorized access and suspicious activities. Senior network engineers work with network architects to implement network designs, run diagnostic tests, and create network solution reports for review and recovery reference. A senior network engineer must have excellent communication and organization skills and broad knowledge of the technology industry, programming languages, and system codes.
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.
Senior network engineers and network support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Network Engineer | Network Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,707 | $86,406 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $145,000 | Between $66,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior network engineer and a network support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Network Engineer | Network Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior network engineers' and network support engineers' demographics:
| Senior Network Engineer | Network Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 13.5% White, 61.2% 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% |