Computer Network Support Specialists
Computer Network Support Specialists (SOC 15-1231) earn a median $76,220 a year ($36.64 an hour) in the United States, with 146,190 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What computer network support specialists do
Computer network support specialists analyze, test, troubleshoot, and maintain the networks an organization depends on, such as local area networks, wide area networks, cloud networks, and servers. Their tasks include identifying the causes of networking problems with diagnostic software and testing, and backing up network data. They also set up who may reach which resources and adjust security settings and analyze and report on security breaches or attempted breaches. Specialists keep networks running with minimal interruption by performing routine maintenance and resolving failures. Titles include network analyst, cloud support specialist, and network technician. The occupation differs from network and computer systems administrators, who have broader responsibility for installing and configuring networks and servers, and from computer network architects, who design them. It also differs from computer user support specialists, who assist end users with their hardware and software rather than the network itself. They also configure routers and related equipment for local and wide area networks, install network software including firewall software, and document their support activities.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Cloud Engineer, Cloud Support Specialist, Computer Network Analyst, Computer Network Specialist, Computer Network Support Specialist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.65 | $28.00 | $36.64 | $47.48 | $61.43 | $39.36 | 146,190 |
| Annual | $47,120 | $58,240 | $76,220 | $98,750 | $127,780 | $81,870 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where computer network support specialists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $30.10 | $38.75 | $48.92 | $64.59 | $82.36 | $53.99 | 3,300 | 0.93 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $62,600 | $80,590 | $101,750 | $134,340 | $171,300 | $112,300 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $25.42 | $34.13 | $46.48 | $66.14 | $82.13 | $51.45 | 8,200 | 2.97 | 3.16 |
| Annual | $52,870 | $70,990 | $96,680 | $137,570 | $170,830 | $107,020 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $32.55 | $38.54 | $43.93 | $58.22 | $72.80 | $48.34 | 450 | 0.64 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $67,700 | $80,160 | $91,370 | $121,100 | $151,420 | $100,560 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $29.32 | $36.97 | $42.62 | $52.76 | $64.55 | $45.24 | 1,980 | 0.54 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $60,980 | $76,900 | $88,650 | $109,730 | $134,250 | $94,110 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $24.44 | $32.07 | $42.04 | $52.22 | $65.51 | $44.71 | 3,370 | 0.79 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $50,830 | $66,710 | $87,440 | $108,610 | $136,260 | $93,000 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $24.08 | $27.31 | $38.07 | $50.44 | $71.61 | $42.68 | 13,620 | 0.75 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $50,090 | $56,790 | $79,190 | $104,920 | $148,940 | $88,760 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $21.85 | $26.00 | $32.11 | $44.34 | $53.16 | $35.94 | 9,930 | 0.71 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $45,440 | $54,080 | $66,780 | $92,240 | $110,570 | $74,760 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $22.97 | $28.26 | $36.41 | $44.85 | $60.25 | $38.14 | 9,450 | 0.95 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $47,780 | $58,780 | $75,740 | $93,280 | $125,320 | $79,330 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $25.42 | $34.13 | $46.48 | $66.14 | $82.13 | $51.45 | 8,200 | 2.97 | 3.16 |
| Annual | $52,870 | $70,990 | $96,680 | $137,570 | $170,830 | $107,020 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $22.10 | $26.75 | $33.69 | $44.10 | $58.88 | $37.34 | 7,480 | 1.35 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $45,980 | $55,640 | $70,080 | $91,730 | $122,470 | $77,670 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $35.63 | $44.85 | $59.68 | $96.09 | $98.75 | $65.36 | 1,080 | 0.95 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $74,110 | $93,280 | $124,130 | $199,870 | $205,400 | $135,940 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $31.45 | $38.96 | $50.33 | $59.61 | $69.92 | $52.65 | 130 | 0.33 | 0.35 |
| Annual | $65,410 | $81,030 | $104,690 | $123,990 | $145,440 | $109,520 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $29.65 | $38.75 | $50.29 | $77.81 | $91.96 | $57.61 | 2,320 | 1.11 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $61,660 | $80,590 | $104,610 | $161,840 | $191,270 | $119,830 | ||||
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | Hourly | $26.88 | $35.84 | $49.51 | $79.32 | $82.42 | $54.52 | 4,910 | 3.62 | 3.85 |
| Annual | $55,910 | $74,540 | $102,980 | $164,980 | $171,440 | $113,410 | ||||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | Hourly | $20.69 | $36.61 | $49.51 | $62.98 | $70.58 | $47.90 | 50 | 0.51 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $43,030 | $76,150 | $102,980 | $130,990 | $146,810 | $99,620 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.11 | $31.04 | $41.79 | $52.21 | $66.54 | $44.60 | 6,330 | 0.67 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $52,230 | $64,560 | $86,930 | $108,590 | $138,410 | $92,760 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $24.08 | $24.08 | $27.51 | $38.92 | $55.88 | $34.79 | 5,390 | 0.86 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $50,090 | $50,090 | $57,220 | $80,960 | $116,230 | $72,360 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $29.42 | $37.27 | $44.42 | $55.78 | $70.96 | $48.24 | 5,100 | 1.63 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $61,190 | $77,520 | $92,400 | $116,020 | $147,590 | $100,350 | ||||
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | Hourly | $26.88 | $35.84 | $49.51 | $79.32 | $82.42 | $54.52 | 4,910 | 3.62 | 3.85 |
| Annual | $55,910 | $74,540 | $102,980 | $164,980 | $171,440 | $113,410 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $23.88 | $29.27 | $35.26 | $42.57 | $52.83 | $37.48 | 4,740 | 1.05 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $49,670 | $60,880 | $73,340 | $88,550 | $109,880 | $77,960 | ||||
Top industries employing computer network support specialists
Computer Systems Design and Related Services employ 21.6% of computer network support specialists nationally (31,540 jobs) at a median $74,320 a year ($35.73 an hour), followed by Telecommunications (7.9%) and Management of Companies and Enterprises (5.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services NAICS 541500 | 31,540 | 21.6% | $74,320 | $35.73 |
| Telecommunications NAICS 517000 | 11,600 | 7.9% | $77,810 | $37.41 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 8,650 | 5.9% | $80,590 | $38.75 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 8,000 | 5.5% | $64,560 | $31.04 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services NAICS 518200 | 7,380 | 5.0% | $76,310 | $36.69 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (146,190). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $62,760 for computer network support specialists in May 2021 and $76,220 in May 2025, with employment of 176,200 and 146,190.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $62,760 | $30.17 | 176,200 |
| May 2022 | $68,050 | $32.72 | 168,920 |
| May 2023 | $71,530 | $34.39 | 158,720 |
| May 2024 | $73,340 | $35.26 | 146,450 |
| May 2025 | $76,220 | $36.64 | 146,190 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $48.92 | $101,750 | $62,600 | $171,300 | 3,300 | 0.93 | 0.99 |
| 2 | Maryland profile | $46.48 | $96,680 | $52,870 | $170,830 | 8,200 | 2.97 | 3.16 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | $43.93 | $91,370 | $67,700 | $151,420 | 450 | 0.64 | 0.68 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | $42.62 | $88,650 | $60,980 | $134,250 | 1,980 | 0.54 | 0.58 |
| 5 | New Jersey profile | $42.04 | $87,440 | $50,830 | $136,260 | 3,370 | 0.79 | 0.84 |
| 6 | Alaska profile | $41.40 | $86,110 | $48,410 | $105,540 | 300 | 0.94 | 1.00 |
| 7 | Nevada profile | $41.25 | $85,790 | $51,010 | $109,990 | 2,460 | 1.58 | 1.69 |
| 8 | Hawaii profile | $40.20 | $83,620 | $51,760 | $114,910 | 350 | 0.56 | 0.59 |
| 9 | Rhode Island profile | $39.89 | $82,970 | $59,810 | $129,450 | 620 | 1.24 | 1.32 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $39.78 | $82,750 | $52,710 | $126,300 | 4,530 | 1.58 | 1.68 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $39.37 | $81,890 | $60,080 | $128,940 | 850 | 0.50 | 0.53 |
| 12 | Wisconsin profile | $38.95 | $81,010 | $57,840 | $107,840 | 1,140 | 0.39 | 0.41 |
| 13 | California profile | $38.07 | $79,190 | $50,090 | $148,940 | 13,620 | 0.75 | 0.80 |
| 14 | Georgia profile | $38.07 | $79,180 | $47,910 | $130,080 | 4,440 | 0.91 | 0.96 |
| 15 | Oklahoma profile | $37.86 | $78,740 | $49,740 | $132,240 | 1,940 | 1.14 | 1.21 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania profile | $37.65 | $78,310 | $50,140 | $125,900 | 4,170 | 0.69 | 0.73 |
| 17 | Tennessee profile | $37.33 | $77,640 | $49,190 | $118,380 | 2,660 | 0.81 | 0.86 |
| 18 | New York profile | $37.28 | $77,540 | $48,970 | $128,350 | 7,170 | 0.74 | 0.79 |
| 19 | South Carolina profile | $36.92 | $76,790 | $48,800 | $113,780 | 2,660 | 1.16 | 1.23 |
| 20 | Virginia profile | $36.90 | $76,760 | $47,060 | $127,430 | 5,650 | 1.37 | 1.46 |
| 21 | Minnesota profile | $36.54 | $76,000 | $52,940 | $104,970 | 2,930 | 0.99 | 1.06 |
| 22 | Florida profile | $36.41 | $75,740 | $47,780 | $125,320 | 9,450 | 0.95 | 1.01 |
| 23 | North Dakota profile | $35.36 | $73,550 | $55,590 | $111,490 | 500 | 1.17 | 1.24 |
| 24 | Indiana profile | $35.15 | $73,100 | $45,870 | $120,910 | 5,030 | 1.57 | 1.67 |
| 25 | Maine profile | $35.09 | $72,990 | $44,930 | $89,610 | 680 | 1.07 | 1.14 |
| 26 | Missouri profile | $34.99 | $72,780 | $42,440 | $129,510 | 3,910 | 1.33 | 1.42 |
| 27 | Vermont profile | $34.81 | $72,400 | $52,950 | $97,740 | 120 | 0.39 | 0.41 |
| 28 | New Hampshire profile | $34.78 | $72,330 | $45,760 | $109,310 | 680 | 0.99 | 1.06 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $33.69 | $70,080 | $45,980 | $122,470 | 7,480 | 1.35 | 1.43 |
| 30 | Oregon profile | $33.12 | $68,900 | $46,320 | $99,660 | 2,660 | 1.35 | 1.44 |
| 31 | Arizona profile | $33.12 | $68,880 | $48,470 | $120,440 | 1,460 | 0.45 | 0.48 |
| 32 | Illinois profile | $32.95 | $68,530 | $47,510 | $104,950 | 6,960 | 1.14 | 1.21 |
| 33 | Texas profile | $32.11 | $66,780 | $45,440 | $110,570 | 9,930 | 0.71 | 0.75 |
| 34 | Michigan profile | $31.68 | $65,900 | $40,250 | $108,250 | 2,470 | 0.56 | 0.60 |
| 35 | Nebraska profile | $31.46 | $65,450 | $44,490 | $108,870 | 1,490 | 1.45 | 1.54 |
| 36 | Iowa profile | $31.06 | $64,600 | $47,330 | $93,760 | 1,920 | 1.23 | 1.31 |
| 37 | New Mexico profile | $31.03 | $64,550 | $46,690 | $124,400 | 1,300 | 1.49 | 1.59 |
| 38 | Mississippi profile | $30.48 | $63,410 | $37,320 | $97,530 | 1,240 | 1.07 | 1.14 |
| 39 | Idaho profile | $30.45 | $63,340 | $46,380 | $100,980 | 780 | 0.92 | 0.97 |
| 40 | Alabama profile | $29.75 | $61,890 | $40,290 | $99,270 | 940 | 0.44 | 0.47 |
| 41 | Wyoming profile | $29.70 | $61,780 | $42,900 | $92,960 | 270 | 0.95 | 1.01 |
| 42 | Montana profile | $29.40 | $61,150 | $49,520 | $93,270 | 890 | 1.74 | 1.85 |
| 43 | Delaware profile | $29.13 | $60,580 | $44,650 | $101,350 | 330 | 0.68 | 0.72 |
| 44 | Kansas profile | $28.87 | $60,060 | $45,570 | $98,350 | 310 | 0.22 | 0.23 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $28.59 | $59,460 | $42,340 | $102,450 | 1,470 | 1.13 | 1.20 |
| 46 | Louisiana profile | $28.21 | $58,680 | $41,950 | $89,910 | 1,290 | 0.67 | 0.71 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | $25.79 | $53,650 | $42,100 | $73,360 | 480 | 1.05 | 1.12 |
| 48 | West Virginia profile | $22.52 | $46,840 | $30,260 | $75,150 | 600 | 0.85 | 0.90 |
| – | Kentucky profile | * | * | * | * | 1,720 | 0.86 | 0.91 |
| – | North Carolina profile | * | * | * | * | 6,080 | 1.23 | 1.31 |
| – | Utah profile | * | * | * | * | 990 | 0.57 | 0.61 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (15-1230), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Computer and Mathematical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 15-1231 Computer Network Support Specialists.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 15-1231, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 15-1231.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.