How to Become a Network Support Specialist
Keep networks healthy: test, troubleshoot, and tune LANs, WANs, and cloud connections. It typically requires an associate degree, with a median salary of $76,220 per year and slower than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$76,220/yr
Middle half
$58,240 to $98,750
Job growth
Slower than average
Openings / yr
9,600
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Network Troubleshooting
- Routing and Switching
- Monitoring Tools
- Documentation
- Customer Support
Helpful certifications
- CompTIA Network+
- CCNA
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
33/100
Work-life balance
60/100
Stress level
55/100
Related careers
- Computer and Information Research Scientist$140,300 median
- Database Architect$139,500 median
- Computer Network Architect$134,050 median
- Computer Systems Analyst$105,850 median
- Video Game Designer$104,000 median
- Computer Programmer$100,390 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Network Support Specialist make?
The median pay for a Network Support Specialist is $76,220 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $58,240 and $98,750 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Network Support Specialist?
The usual entry point is an associate degree. Common majors are Information Technology, Network Engineering, and Computer Science.
Is Network Support Specialist a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is slower than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 9,600 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Network Support Specialist use most?
Common skills for this role are Network Troubleshooting, Routing and Switching, Monitoring Tools, Documentation, and Customer Support.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).