---
title: "Computer Network Support Specialist"
description: "Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-network-support-specialist"
last-updated: "2026-08-23T15:56:39.581Z"
---

# Computer Network Support Specialist

**Category:** Computer and Mathematical · **SOC code:** 15-1231 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 15-1231.00

Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers, and other data communications networks. Perform network maintenance to ensure networks operate correctly with minimal interruption.

Also advertised as: Computer Network Specialist; IT Consultant (Information Technology Consultant); Network Specialist; Network Support Specialist; Network Technical Analyst; Network Technician; Personal Computer Network Analyst; Systems Specialist.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $76,220 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $36.64/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $47,120 to $127,780, with the middle half between $58,240 and $98,750
- **Total US employment:** 146,190
- **Typical entry education:** Associate's
- **Preparation required:** Medium preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +1.8% over 2024–2034 (BLS EP, 2024–2034)
- **Annual job openings:** 9,600 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 28/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 146,190 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $47,120 |
| 25th | $58,240 |
| 50th (median) | $76,220 |
| 75th | $98,750 |
| 90th | $127,780 |
| Mean (average) | $81,870 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WA | $101,750 | $95,082 | 3,300 |
| MD | $96,680 | $92,112 | 8,200 |
| DC | $91,370 | $83,138 | 450 |
| MA | $88,650 | $83,824 | 1,980 |
| NJ | $87,440 | $80,364 | 3,370 |
| AK | $86,110 | $84,125 | 300 |
| NV | $85,790 | $85,808 | 2,460 |
| HI | $83,620 | $76,052 | 350 |
| RI | $82,970 | $81,120 | 620 |
| CO | $82,750 | $80,299 | 4,530 |
| CT | $81,890 | $79,037 | 850 |
| WI | $81,010 | $86,094 | 1,140 |
| CA | $79,190 | $71,523 | 13,620 |
| GA | $79,180 | $82,228 | 4,440 |
| OK | $78,740 | $89,637 | 1,940 |

36 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 51 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-network-support-specialist/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/computer-network-support-specialist.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 152,700 in the 2024–2034 base year to 155,500 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 2,800 jobs, or +1.8%. Slower than average: 1.8% against 3.1% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 9,600 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2024–2034.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** Associate's degree (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Medium preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** Moderate-term on-the-job training.

### Education people in this job actually hold

O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above.

| Education level | Share of workers |
| --- | --- |
| Bachelor's Degree | 46.9% |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 21.7% |
| Some College Courses | 13.6% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 10.2% |
| High School Diploma | 4.2% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 1.8% |

## What the work involves

- Analyze network data to determine network usage, disk space availability, or server function.
- Install new hardware or software systems or components, ensuring integration with existing network systems.
- Configure security settings or access permissions for groups or individuals.
- Create or revise user instructions, procedures, or manuals.
- Configure and define parameters for installation or testing of local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), hubs, routers, switches, controllers, multiplexers, or related networking equipment.
- Document network support activities.
- Troubleshoot network or connectivity problems for users or user groups.
- Perform routine maintenance or standard repairs to networking components or equipment.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Critical Thinking — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Reading Comprehension — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Monitoring — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Learning Strategies — importance 2.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Troubleshooting — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Analysis — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operations Monitoring — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Evaluation — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Time Management — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Social Perceptiveness — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Computers and Electronics — importance 5.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Telecommunications — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Customer and Personal Service — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Engineering and Technology — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Administration and Management — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Oral Comprehension — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Problem Sensitivity — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Deductive Reasoning — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Expression — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Inductive Reasoning — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Written Comprehension — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Conventional (C), Investigative (I), Realistic (R).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| C — Conventional | 5.45 |
| I — Investigative | 4.61 |
| R — Realistic | 4.38 |
| E — Enterprising | 2.64 |
| S — Social | 2.28 |
| A — Artistic | 1.00 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ISTJ | 93.7 |
| ESTJ | 78.8 |
| ISFJ | 75.8 |
| INTJ | 72.8 |
| ISTP | 72.0 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Computer Network Architect](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-network-architect) — median $134,050
- [Network and Computer Systems Administrator](https://nuecareer.com/careers/network-and-computer-systems-administrator) — median $99,130
- [Computer User Support Specialist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-user-support-specialist) — median $61,860
- [Computer Systems Engineers/Architect](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-systems-engineers-architect) — median $116,580
- [Information Security Engineer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/information-security-engineer) — median $116,580
- [Information Security Analyst](https://nuecareer.com/careers/information-security-analyst) — median $129,180
- [Telecommunications Engineering Specialist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/telecommunications-engineering-specialist) — median $134,050
- [Computer Systems Analyst](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-systems-analyst) — median $105,850
- [Database Administrator](https://nuecareer.com/careers/database-administrator) — median $104,620
- [Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers](https://nuecareer.com/careers/telecommunications-equipment-installer-and-repairer) — median $63,890

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 30.3 Database, May 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2024–2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank includes information from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/computer-network-support-specialist