Career
Computer network support specialists
Keep networks running and fix them when they fail.
$76,220
Median pay
+1.2%
Job growth, 2025–35
9,000
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Back up network data.
- Configure security settings or access permissions for groups or individuals.
- Analyze and report computer network security breaches or attempted breaches.
- Identify the causes of networking problems, using diagnostic testing software and equipment.
- Document network support activities.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Back up network data.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $76,220 a year and 9,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Computer ScienceSee the degree →
- Information Technology ManagementSee the degree →
- Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralCIP 11.0201
- Computer Systems Analysis/AnalystCIP 11.0501
- Computer ScienceCIP 11.0701
- Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsCIP 11.0901
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Computer Network Architects$134,050 · +7.7%
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators$99,130 · -4.1%
- Computer User Support Specialists$61,860 · -3.5%
- Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
- Information Security Engineers
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.