Network Operations Engineer Salary Guide 2025

Key takeaways

Network operations engineers earn $130,390 per year on average according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [1]. Here are a few things to know:

• Employment in this field is expected to grow 12 percent between 2024 and 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.

• Network operations engineer salary ranges increase with experience and credentials.

• You can increase your earning potential by learning in-demand skills and keeping up with industry trends.

Learn more about the factors that impact the salary you might receive as a network operations engineer and what you can do to increase your earning potential in the following article.

If you're looking to expand your expertise in this role to prepare to negotiate for a higher salary, consider enrolling in Cisco's Network Automation Engineering Fundamentals Specialization. In as little as three months, you can learn how to script security topics with Ansible and Python, identify issues network automation can solve, and build a foundational understanding of NETCONF, RESTCONF, gNMI, and YANG modeling. By the end, you'll have earned a shareable certificate for your resume.

Network operations engineer salary

BLS reports network operations engineer salary in the US to be $130,390 per year, or, $62.69 per hour [1]. Glassdoor users report network operations engineer salaries to range between $102,000-$156,000, with $88,000-$129,000 representing the base salary range and $14,000-$26,000 representing additional pay. Additional pay insights may include profit sharing, bonuses, and commissions [2].

Factors that impact network operations engineer salary

Your earning potential in a network operations engineering role depends on a few factors, including experience and education level, the industry you work in, and the company you work for. Explore these factors in the following sections to get a better idea of how much you can make.

Education

Zippia reports 62 percent of network operations engineers have a bachelor’s degree, 22 percent have an associate, 8 percent have a master's, and 3 percent have a high school diploma [3]. Most commonly studied majors include electrical engineering, computer science, computer information systems, and information technology. The educational background required varies by employer and industry, so be sure to check job postings that you're interested in to find opportunities to fill gaps in your experience.

Higher education levels can increase your earning power. Here is the average network operations engineer salary you can expect to earn based on your degree level [3]:

• High school diploma: $95,886

• Associate degree: $97,063

• Bachelor’s degree: $106,656

• Master’s degree: $110,322

Certifications

In addition to academic qualifications, certifications may give you access to more opportunities and increase your salary in the role of network operations engineer. Some options to consider and the average salaries that accompany these certifications include:

• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): $90,000 [4]

• Certified Network Defender (CND): $81,749 [5]

• CCNP Service Provider: $107,000 [6]

• CompTIA Network+: $78,000 [7]

Read more: What Is CompTIA Network+ Certification?

Experience

Prior experience in the field is important to becoming a network operations engineer. One to two years is typically expected to build the relevant skills needed for the role, with more years of experience needed to gain more senior positions. Many network operations engineers start in entry-level roles such as network technician, network engineer, or network administrator to build experience. Internships serve as an opportunity to build experience while studying for a degree.

Here are the average salary ranges for network operations engineers based on years of experience [2]:

• 0–1 years of experience: $76,000-$118,000

• 1–3 years: $81,000-$128,000

• 4–6 years: $90,000-$138,000

• 7–9 years: $94,000-$144,000

• 10–14 years: $101,000-$156,000

Location

Not all cities and states are equal regarding network operations center engineer salaries. Some pay higher than others, so you may compare salaries by location before accepting a job offer or even applying. However, keep in mind that salaries tend to be higher in alignment with higher costs of living.

Highest-paying cities for a network operations engineer

The highest paying cities for a network operations engineer and the associated salaries are [3]:

• San Francisco, CA: $128,383

• Redmond, WA: $120,492

• New York, NY: $108,733

• Wilmington, DE: $103,884

• Jersey City, NJ: $101,366

• Greenwich, CT: $101,254

Highest-paying states for a network operations engineer

The highest paying states for a network operations engineer and the associated salaries are [3]:

• Washington: $119,919

• Idaho: $102,162

• Oregon: $101,956

• Rhode Island: $98,320

• Maine: $99,528

• California: $118, 901

Industry

The industry factors into your average salary, with the technology industry generally having the highest salaries overall. Network operations engineers usually work within design and engineering teams, and industries that hire for this position include technology, the internet, finance, telecommunications, and manufacturing.

Highest-paying industries for a network operations engineer

The highest-paying industries and the corresponding average annual salary include [3]:

• Technology: $99,128

• Professional: $96,555

• Manufacturing: $96,297

• Internet: $94,631

• Finance: $91,674

Company

Within each industry, you may find companies that pay higher than others, so it may be beneficial to research which companies pay the highest salaries to maximize your potential income. 

The top-paying companies, according to Glassdoor, include [2]:

• Google: $171,000-$276,000

• Meta: $162,000-$255,000

• SpaceX: $149,000-$229,000

• Roblox: $146,000-$226,000

• Apple: $134,000-$206,000

• TikTok: $128,000-$199,000

Related job titles

Working as a network operations engineer may lead to other opportunities, such as advancing to management-level positions or using your technical and workplace skills to move in slightly different directions. Some related job titles to consider and their average annual salaries include:

• Network engineer: $96,408

• Systems engineer: $110,712

• Information technology manager: $121,979

• Network administrator: $79,595

*All salary information is sourced from Glassdoor as of September 2025.

Read more: System Administrator vs. Network Administrator: Navigating Your Career Choices

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