SOC 15-1241 · May 2025
Network Engineer Salary
Network Engineers in the US earn a median of $134,050 a year ($67.11 an hour on average), according to the BLS May 2025 wage survey. Average Network Engineer pay climbed from $115,110 in 2019 to $139,580 in 2025, a +21.3% change in 6 years.
Median annual
$134,050
Half of all Network Engineers in the United States earn more than this figure, half earn less. From the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release.
Wage trend
+21.3% since 2019 · +2.7% YoY
Hourly
$67.11
Job growth 2025-35
+7.7%
US workers
179,740
BLS series
Annual median wage for Computer Network Architects in All Industries in the United States
Salary range
From entry to top decile
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Network Engineers is $79,900 – $202,680.
Percentile distribution
USD · annual
10th
$79,900
25th
$104,620
Median
$134,050
75th
$168,200
90th
$202,680
Percentile bands
Where your pay would sit
Percentile bands
Annual wages at each point of the BLS distribution for Network Engineers. Where you sit depends on experience, employer, location and credentials.
| Percentile | What it means | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 10% earn less. Common for new entrants | $79,900 |
| 25th percentile | A quarter earn less | $104,620 |
| Median | Half earn more, half earn less | $134,050 |
| 75th percentile | A quarter earn more | $168,200 |
| 90th percentile | 10% earn more. Often senior or specialist staff | $202,680 |
Geography
Network Engineer pay by state
Network Engineers earn the most in Washington ($168,070, +25% against the national median) and the least in Mississippi ($90,990). BLS publishes a May 2025 estimate for this occupation in 51 of 51 states and D.C.
National median
$134,050
Highest-paying states for network engineers
| State | Annual median | vs national | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $168,070 | +25% | 4,730 |
| New Jersey | $162,350 | +21% | 5,660 |
| Maryland | $159,460 | +19% | 5,860 |
| California | $158,870 | +19% | 14,870 |
| Massachusetts | $155,060 | +16% | 6,270 |
| South Dakota | $153,390 | +14% | 420 |
| Delaware | $148,390 | +11% | 760 |
| Connecticut | $143,890 | +7% | 1,570 |
| Virginia | $141,340 | +5% | 9,380 |
| New York | $140,390 | +5% | 9,800 |
All 51 states, highest to lowest
| State | Annual median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $168,070 | 4,730 |
| New Jersey | $162,350 | 5,660 |
| Maryland | $159,460 | 5,860 |
| California | $158,870 | 14,870 |
| Massachusetts | $155,060 | 6,270 |
| South Dakota | $153,390 | 420 |
| Delaware | $148,390 | 760 |
| Connecticut | $143,890 | 1,570 |
| Virginia | $141,340 | 9,380 |
| New York | $140,390 | 9,800 |
| Colorado | $139,230 | 16,380 |
| Nevada | $138,060 | 1,010 |
| D.C. | $137,670 | 1,490 |
| Oregon | $135,660 | 1,540 |
| South Carolina | $134,990 | 1,950 |
| Georgia | $133,890 | 7,690 |
| Texas | $133,310 | 13,650 |
| Minnesota | $133,270 | 2,040 |
| Florida | $132,800 | 9,370 |
| Illinois | $132,790 | 7,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $131,840 | 6,080 |
| Wisconsin | $131,720 | 2,170 |
| Rhode Island | $131,320 | 460 |
| Ohio | $131,070 | 5,150 |
| Arizona | $130,890 | 3,990 |
| Alabama | $130,810 | 4,200 |
| North Carolina | $127,320 | 8,350 |
| New Hampshire | $125,420 | 560 |
| Indiana | $124,190 | 2,030 |
| Tennessee | $123,860 | 4,330 |
| West Virginia | $122,520 | 360 |
| Utah | $121,000 | 1,330 |
| Alaska | $119,720 | 120 |
| Nebraska | $116,420 | 1,350 |
| Michigan | $112,040 | 3,210 |
| Vermont | $110,930 | 130 |
| Arkansas | $110,400 | 910 |
| Oklahoma | $109,450 | 1,320 |
| New Mexico | $109,080 | 420 |
| North Dakota | $108,990 | 230 |
| Maine | $108,570 | 570 |
| Hawaii | $108,000 | 320 |
| Idaho | $107,620 | 720 |
| Louisiana | $106,620 | 470 |
| Montana | $104,300 | 250 |
| Kentucky | $103,740 | 1,710 |
| Missouri | $103,130 | 3,360 |
| Iowa | $103,050 | 1,170 |
| Kansas | $100,610 | 1,770 |
| Wyoming | $100,520 | 50 |
| Mississippi | $90,990 | – |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, all industries.
What affects this salary
Pay drivers for Network Engineers
Computer network architects and engineers (BLS SOC 15-1241) design and build data communication networks including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and intranets. Senior roles typically require a bachelor's degree plus extensive experience with Cisco, Juniper, or cloud networking platforms (CCIE, CCNP, AWS Advanced Networking certifications). Telecom, financial services, and large enterprise pay above the OEWS median; smaller IT departments fall closer to it.
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread is $79,900 – $202,680. That gap reflects experience, certification, employer type, geographic cost of living, and shift differentials where applicable.
Geography matters. The best-paying states for this role are Washington, New Jersey and Maryland. Pay in Washington runs 1.8 times the level in Mississippi, before any adjustment for cost of living.
Getting in. BLS lists the typical entry-level education as bachelor's degree, and projects about 9,600 openings a year over 2025-35. Employment is projected to grow 7.7% over the same period, against 3.5% for all occupations.
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask
Frequently asked
What is the average Network Engineer salary in the US?
How much does a Network Engineer make an hour?
How much do Network Engineers make at the low and high end?
Which state pays Network Engineers the most?
Is the average Network Engineer salary higher than the median?
Is Network Engineer a growing career?
Open positions
Open Network Engineer roles hiring now
Browse current Network Engineer listings on Indeed and ZipRecruiter, filtered to your role.
Source & methodology
Wage and employment figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 release. Standard Occupational Classification: 15-1241. Figures represent the national median, mean, and percentile distribution across all employers and industries. Hourly equivalents assume a 2,080-hour work year. Job growth, annual openings and typical education are from the BLS Employment Projections program, 2025-35; see the Occupational Outlook Handbook entry. Read our methodology for details on how the data is sourced, transformed, and refreshed.