Computer Network Support Specialists
Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems such as local area networks, wide area networks, cloud networks, and Internet systems.
Computer Network Support Specialists analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems such as local area networks, wide area networks, cloud networks, and Internet systems. The role reports a median annual salary of $73,340 in the US with the middle 80% earning between $40,560 and $106,200 and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Associate's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.69 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Troubleshooting.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £35,259 a year for IT operations technicians (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £29,277 to £44,389 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3131). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Computer Network Support Specialists, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification ITI trade 'Computer Hardware & Network Maintenance' (1 year, after Class 10 with science and maths) under the Craftsmen Training Scheme[1][2]
- 2 · Certification Pass the all-India trade test to get the National Trade Certificate (NTC) from DGT[1]
- 3 · First role Hardware and network support technician[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- DGT — Computer Hardware & Network Maintenance trade syllabus (Craftsmen Training Scheme) (read on 2026-09-27)
- DGT — List of CTS courses (read on 2026-09-27)
3 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Communications and Media
A day in the life
Your day begins with a queue of help-desk tickets—someone's VPN is dropping, a conference room's Wi-Fi keeps cutting out, and a new hire needs network credentials. You spend the morning running diagnostics, tracing cable paths, and updating firewall rules while juggling phone calls from frustrated users. In the afternoon you might roll out a firmware update across dozens of switches or help plan the cabling for a new office floor. The job is half detective work and half customer service, and when you finally track down that one misconfigured router causing network chaos, the relief is enormous.
Illustrative: one typical day. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually 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.
- Configure wide area network (WAN) or local area network (LAN) routers or related equipment.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Computer Network Support Specialists do?
Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems such as local area networks, wide area networks, cloud networks, and Internet systems.
What does a typical day look like in Computer Network Support Specialists?
Your day begins with a queue of help-desk tickets—someone's VPN is dropping, a conference room's Wi-Fi keeps cutting out, and a new hire needs network credentials. You spend the morning running diagnostics, tracing cable paths, and updating firewall rules while juggling phone calls from frustrated users. In the afternoon you might roll out a firmware update across dozens of switches or help plan the cabling for a new office floor.
How much does Computer Network Support Specialists earn?
The median annual salary for Computer Network Support Specialists in the US is $73,340. The middle 80% of workers earn between $40,560 and $106,200 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $51,680 and $85,250.
What is the job outlook for Computer Network Support Specialists?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 152,700 workers.
How do I become computer network support specialists?
The typical entry education is a Associate's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Computer Network Support Specialists need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Troubleshooting, Active Learning. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Computer Network Support Specialists?
Our AI-durability model gives Computer Network Support Specialists a score of 0.69 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Computer Network Support Specialists has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.