Typical entry: Associate's degree
Computer network support specialist
Computer network support specialists keep networks running: monitoring, troubleshooting connectivity, maintaining switches, routers, and cloud accounts, and supporting users who depend on them. BLS lists an associate's degree as typical, and certificates substitute for it at many employers.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a computer network support specialist makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$76,220
$36.64 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $58,240
- 75th percentile
- $98,750
- 90th percentile
- $127,780
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 50%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +1.2%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 9,000
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
Two certificate routes lead here without a degree: the AWS Cloud Support Associate certificate (its own page states no degree or prior experience is required) for cloud support roles, and CompTIA Network+ for traditional network support. Help-desk experience plus either credential is the usual sequence.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers, and other data communications networks. Perform network maintenance to ensure networks operate correctly with minimal interruption.
The next step
AWS Cloud Support Associate Professional Certificate, or CompTIA Network+
- Typical cost
- $49 per month on Coursera, or a $369 Network+ exam plus prep
- Time to complete
- About 6 months for the certificate; 2 to 4 months of Network+ study
Where to start AWS Cloud Support Associate Professional Certificate
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for computer network support specialists by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $48.92 | $101,750 | $80,590 to $134,340 | 3,300 |
| Maryland | $46.48 | $96,680 | $70,990 to $137,570 | 8,200 |
| District of Columbia | $43.93 | $91,370 | $80,160 to $121,100 | 450 |
| Massachusetts | $42.62 | $88,650 | $76,900 to $109,730 | 1,980 |
| New Jersey | $42.04 | $87,440 | $66,710 to $108,610 | 3,370 |
| Alaska | $41.40 | $86,110 | $63,930 to $103,340 | 300 |
| Nevada | $41.25 | $85,790 | $63,130 to $109,990 | 2,460 |
| Hawaii | $40.20 | $83,620 | $59,800 to $100,410 | 350 |
| Rhode Island | $39.89 | $82,970 | $68,760 to $107,250 | 620 |
| Colorado | $39.78 | $82,750 | $74,410 to $91,760 | 4,530 |
| Connecticut | $39.37 | $81,890 | $62,840 to $111,460 | 850 |
| Wisconsin | $38.95 | $81,010 | $67,350 to $93,120 | 1,140 |
| California | $38.07 | $79,190 | $56,790 to $104,920 | 13,620 |
| Georgia | $38.07 | $79,180 | $61,180 to $106,940 | 4,440 |
| Oklahoma | $37.86 | $78,740 | $63,020 to $101,610 | 1,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $37.65 | $78,310 | $60,710 to $101,140 | 4,170 |
| Tennessee | $37.33 | $77,640 | $58,780 to $96,500 | 2,660 |
| New York | $37.28 | $77,540 | $61,430 to $99,550 | 7,170 |
| South Carolina | $36.92 | $76,790 | $60,510 to $98,690 | 2,660 |
| Virginia | $36.90 | $76,760 | $58,720 to $98,580 | 5,650 |
| Minnesota | $36.54 | $76,000 | $62,510 to $88,450 | 2,930 |
| Florida | $36.41 | $75,740 | $58,780 to $93,280 | 9,450 |
| North Dakota | $35.36 | $73,550 | $63,240 to $90,180 | 500 |
| Indiana | $35.15 | $73,100 | $56,520 to $97,320 | 5,030 |
| Maine | $35.09 | $72,990 | $52,120 to $81,490 | 680 |
| Missouri | $34.99 | $72,780 | $55,410 to $97,430 | 3,910 |
| Vermont | $34.81 | $72,400 | $61,400 to $81,740 | 120 |
| New Hampshire | $34.78 | $72,330 | $59,850 to $86,990 | 680 |
| Ohio | $33.69 | $70,080 | $55,640 to $91,730 | 7,480 |
| Oregon | $33.12 | $68,900 | $56,910 to $81,050 | 2,660 |
| Arizona | $33.12 | $68,880 | $53,650 to $87,640 | 1,460 |
| Illinois | $32.95 | $68,530 | $58,670 to $84,410 | 6,960 |
| Texas | $32.11 | $66,780 | $54,080 to $92,240 | 9,930 |
| Michigan | $31.68 | $65,900 | $51,360 to $83,700 | 2,470 |
| Nebraska | $31.46 | $65,450 | $53,200 to $81,850 | 1,490 |
| Iowa | $31.06 | $64,600 | $51,280 to $80,460 | 1,920 |
| New Mexico | $31.03 | $64,550 | $54,480 to $87,340 | 1,300 |
| Mississippi | $30.48 | $63,410 | $45,600 to $78,470 | 1,240 |
| Idaho | $30.45 | $63,340 | $57,420 to $82,920 | 780 |
| Alabama | $29.75 | $61,890 | $48,340 to $79,660 | 940 |
| Wyoming | $29.70 | $61,780 | $55,370 to $81,900 | 270 |
| Montana | $29.40 | $61,150 | $55,990 to $72,550 | 890 |
| Delaware | $29.13 | $60,580 | $48,970 to $78,800 | 330 |
| Kansas | $28.87 | $60,060 | $49,570 to $74,640 | 310 |
| Arkansas | $28.59 | $59,460 | $47,150 to $75,680 | 1,470 |
| Louisiana | $28.21 | $58,680 | $49,190 to $76,140 | 1,290 |
| South Dakota | $25.79 | $53,650 | $46,680 to $62,900 | 480 |
| West Virginia | $22.52 | $46,840 | $36,450 to $60,970 | 600 |
| Kentucky | — | — | — | 1,720 |
| North Carolina | — | — | — | 6,080 |
| Utah | — | — | — | 990 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a computer network support specialist?
No. BLS lists "associate's degree" as the typical education for entry, and 50% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is AWS Cloud Support Associate Professional Certificate, or CompTIA Network+.
How much does a computer network support specialist make?
The median pay was $76,220 a year ($36.64 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $58,240 and $98,750, and the top 10 percent earned more than $127,780.
How long does it take to become a computer network support specialist?
About 6 months for the certificate; 2 to 4 months of Network+ study. The typical cost is $49 per month on Coursera, or a $369 Network+ exam plus prep.
Is computer network support specialist work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 1.2% from 2025 to 2035 with about 9,000 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 15-1231.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile