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Network Engineer
TechnologyYou build and maintain the invisible plumbing of the internet. Routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs — you configure them all while everyone complains that the WiFi is slow. When the network works, it's magic. When it doesn't, it's somehow always your fault, even when someone plugged a space heater into the server rack's power strip.
Salary Range
Low
$60k
Median
$95k
High
$140k
10-Year Growth
average
US Workers
180K
Education
Bachelor's in IT/CS + certifications (CCNA, CCNP, or equivalent)
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Cisco IOS, Juniper Junos, Arista EOS configuration
- ▸TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, EIGRP routing protocols
- ▸Firewall management (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco ASA)
- ▸VLAN, VPN, and SD-WAN design
- ▸Network monitoring tools (Nagios, PRTG, SolarWinds)
- ▸Wireless network design and troubleshooting
- ▸CCNA/CCNP certification knowledge
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Systematic troubleshooting
- ▸Documentation habits
- ▸Teamwork
- ▸Communication with non-technical stakeholders
- ▸Patience under pressure
What you'll actually do
- 01Configure routers, switches, and firewalls while questioning why anyone chose this vendor
- 02Troubleshoot network outages at 3 AM using packet captures and profanity
- 03Design network architectures on whiteboards that never survive contact with reality
- 04Manage VPN connections for remote workers who blame you when their home WiFi is bad
- 05Update firmware on network devices during maintenance windows that always run long
- 06Explain to executives that no, you can't 'just add more bandwidth' like turning up a faucet
Related Shifts
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