Average CCNA salary in 2021

The CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is a highly sought-after routing and switching network, vendor-specific certification for IT professionals. The credential gives them the foundation they need to take their career in any direction. Cisco’s CCNA is a great starting point and can be applied to any IT career path.

What is the average CCNA salary?

The average salary for CCNA certification is $79,000 (as of May 2021), according to PayScale; this is nearly 30% higher than the average salary in the United States.

What is the average CCNA salary by city?

Here is a breakdown of some of the best cities for CCNA-certified professionals in a position as a Network Engineer: 

• San Jose: $94,000
• Washington D.C.: $90,000
• San Diego: $85,000
• New York City: $79,000
• Chicago: $72,000
• Houston: $79,000
• Raleigh: $71,000
• Dallas: $79,000
• Atlanta: $72,000
• Denver: $79,000
• Other: See all cities.

What is the average CCNA salary by degree?

Those with a CCNA certificate and degree could start at $51,000 with the average salary for networking degree jobs being $60,000.

This salary figure does include those who have earned associate degrees, and, interestingly, there is not much difference in figures for professionals with different degree levels.

The following shows how much each degree holder can expect to earn yearly, as per Salary.com.

• Network engineer I with an associate’s degree  is $66,653 – $71,233
• Network engineer I with a bachelor’s degree is $67,944 – $72,637
• Network engineer II with an associate’s degree is $84,106 – $89,866
• Network engineer II with a bachelor’s degree is $84,557 – $90,399
• Network engineer III with an associate’s degree is $100,062- $106,010
• Network engineer III with a bachelor’s degree is $100,540 – $106,509
• Network engineer III with a master’s degree or MBA is $101,337 – $107,340 

However, having at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering (or equivalent) is preferred for a CCNA to be considered for most open vacancies today.

What is the average CCNA salary by job role?

According to Cisco, a CCNA certification, “builds the skills you will be using throughout your career in IT, whatever the role.” And this certification is a good choice for a number of job roles, including architects, engineers, analysts and IT support professionals.

According to Payscale.com, the average salary for a CCNA professional in various positions is as follows:

• Network architect – $118,000
• Information technology (IT) director – $108,000
• Sr. Network engineer – $102,000
• Cyber security analyst – $79,000
• Information technology (IT) manager – $87,000
• Network engineer  –  $76,000
• Systems engineer (computer networking/IT) – $76,000
• Systems administrator – $66,000
• Network administrator – $63,000

Different skills can affect salary. Below, for example, is how the pay of a network administrator is affected by the possession of different abilities.

•  Switching and Routing ▲21% – average base salary is $71,000
•  Switches & Firewall Installation and Administration ▲12% – average base salary is $65,000

The job outlook for “network and computer systems administrators is projected to grow 4% from 2019 to 2029,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; a CCNA certification, that can help you get easier access to these positions, can represent the right move for both young professionals finding their right path and more seasoned professionals looking for a career change.

What are the benefits of becoming CCNA certified?

When Indeed surveyed 2,593 job seekers about their Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), this is what they were told:

• 70% of job seekers said that the biggest reason for earning their Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) was help in their career progression 
• 67% said earning their Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) helped them make more money
• 65% said earning their Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) helped them get a job
• 95% said they would recommend a family member or friend earn their Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 

Becoming CCNA certified validates a professional’s critical job skills, and shows the ability of network professionals to install and configure routers and switches for entire organizations, as well as troubleshoot any network issues.

Though it is true you can get a job without certification, having a CCNA on your resume might make you more visible to recruiters and set you apart from the competition. In addition, with Cisco’s market share of 49.9% of the global ethernet switch market in the third quarter of 2020, there are many possibilities that a professional might find that technology on his or her path when applying for jobs in many organizations.

Another reason to get Cisco certified? Salary. “Cisco certified professionals see an average salary increase of $12,000-13,000” (Source: 2020 IT Skills and Salary Report, Global Knowledge).

How can I become CCNA certified?

To earn a CCNA, a professional needs to pass a proctored exam, created by Cisco, to demonstrate abilities in how to run a network.

To be eligible, candidates should have one or more years of experience implementing and administering Cisco solutions, as well as have a good understanding of the following CCNA topics:

• Network fundamentals
• Network access
• IP connectivity
• IP services
• Security fundamentals
• Automation and programmability

The 200-301 CCNA – Cisco examination lasts 120 minutes and costs $300. It is offered in English and Japanese.

The Cisco Learning Network features a CCNA Prep program to guide professionals in their self-study journey in becoming certified. An exam blueprint is available, featuring the CCNA exam topics. There are also plenty of additional, online CCNA study resources (free and paid) that can help you pass this examination.

How hard is the Cisco CCNA? The Cisco CCNA is an entry-level certification exam, but it is still challenging because it requires testers to have both technical networking knowledge and hands-on configuration skills on vendor-specific equipment.

When ready for the test, go through Pearson VUE to schedule for the certification exam and to locate a test center near you. Note: The exam can be conveniently taken from your home or office through OnVUE online proctoring.

Figure out if the CCNA is right for you 

So, is the CCNA right for you? As organizations continue to build up resilience in their networks, highly skilled professionals are in high demand to maintain and secure the infrastructures companies and organizations depend on every day.

The CCNA certification makes sense to test and verify your fundamental knowledge on the latest networking technologies, security and automation and programmability skills.

There are a lot of reasons you might want to pursue this certification if you’re passionate about the subject and career it offers. The CCNA can make you more visible to recruiters, as this credential is one of the most valuable IT certifications today; the 2020 Robert Half Technology Salary Guide explains how this respected associate-level designation has proven valuable to boost one’s career significantly, in terms of annual earnings and for access to more niche positions.

 

Sources:

• CCNA At-a-glance, Cisco
• Career Path Planner, PayScale
• Networking Degree Salaries, SimplyHired
• Network Engineer Salary, Business Student.com
• CCNA Prep Program, The Cisco Learning Network
• Why Get Cisco Certified?, Cisco Networking Academy
• CCNA Certification and Training, Cisco
• 50 CCNA Interview Questions…, Indeed.com
• Certificate (Cert), CCNA Degree, PayScale
• Launch Your Career with the New CCNA, Cisco
• How Hard is the Cisco CCNA?, StartaCyberCareer.com
• Network and Computer Systems Administrators, BLS
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Indeed.com
• Technology: Salary Data and Hiring Trends (2021), Robert Half
• CCNA Program Overviews with Career Information, Study.com
• Salary for Certification: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), PayScale