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The differences between wireless engineers and network engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a wireless engineer, becoming a network engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a wireless engineer has an average salary of $103,718, which is higher than the $83,557 average annual salary of a network engineer.
The top three skills for a wireless engineer include IP, switches and WLAN. The most important skills for a network engineer are switches, troubleshoot, and network infrastructure.
| Wireless Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,718 | $83,557 |
| Hourly rate | $49.86 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 24,289 | 72,346 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A wireless service engineer is an individual who provides support to Internet and wireless phone subscribers in a specific area. The job of a wireless engineer is to make sure that wireless coverage in a zone remains active, linking all users with their subscription speed and signal strength. The task of a wireless service engineer includes the inspection, monitoring and maintenance of all wireless equipment and facilities in a given area. Wireless networks are an important part of many communities today, particularly as the increase in mobile phone users is at a record level.
A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs. They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations.
Wireless engineers and network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Wireless Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,718 | $83,557 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $140,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a wireless engineer and a network engineer in terms of educational background:
| Wireless Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between wireless engineers' and network engineers' demographics:
| Wireless Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.9% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |