CCNA Salary in 2026: What the Data Really Shows

No official source publishes a single CCNA salary, because pay depends on the job, not the certificate. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports May 2025 median wages of $76,220 for computer network support specialists, $99,130 for network and computer systems administrators and $134,050 for network architects. CCNA helps you reach those roles; it does not set the number.

How much does a CCNA holder earn?

There is no authoritative, CCNA-specific salary. A certification does not carry a pay rate; the job you hold with it does. Salary sites that publish a single "CCNA salary" figure usually average self-reported pay across very different titles and experience levels, so we do not quote them here. Instead, this guide uses the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a government source with a published method, and is explicit about what it can and cannot tell you.

The sensible question is not "what is the CCNA salary" but "what do the jobs that ask for CCNA pay, and how much does the certification help me get one?" The rest of this article answers that, using only figures we have checked on the BLS pages linked in the sources.

If you are still deciding whether to pursue the certification at all, read Is CCNA worth it in 2026?, and for the cost side of the equation see CCNA exam cost.

What does BLS data say about networking jobs?

BLS publishes median annual wages for broad occupations in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, based on its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. A median means half of the workers in that occupation earn more and half earn less. The figures below are May 2025 medians from the BLS pages for the roles CCNA holders most commonly target.

Read the table as a ladder, not a menu. Moving from help desk to network support to administrator to architect takes years of work experience, and each rung asks for more than a certification. Sources: BLS pages for computer support specialists, network and computer systems administrators and computer network architects.

BLS also reports that computer occupations as a group had a $109,470 median in May 2025, more than double the all-occupation median. That context matters: networking is a well-paid area of work relative to the economy as a whole, even though it is not the best-paid corner of technology.

What do those medians mean for a new CCNA holder?

Medians describe everyone in an occupation, including people with a decade or more of experience. A newly certified candidate starting as a NOC technician or junior administrator should expect to begin below the median for the occupation, then move toward and past it as experience accumulates. BLS data cannot tell you how far below, and we will not guess a figure.

NOC technician is a good example of a title with no clean BLS category. Employers use the name for a range of jobs, from monitoring dashboards to hands-on troubleshooting, and statistical agencies file them under broader groups such as network support or systems administration. When you look at job postings, compare the duties, not the title, with the BLS descriptions.

Also note that BLS lists associate or bachelor degrees as the typical entry-level education for these roles, while its computer support page says candidates for either support role may qualify with a high school diploma plus relevant IT certifications. That is where a certification helps most: it can substitute for or supplement formal education when you are trying to get a first role.

What drives networking pay more than the certification?

• Years of hands-on experience. BLS says computer network architects typically need five years or more of related work experience. Experience is the main reason architects earn so much more than support specialists.
• Location and cost of living. The same job pays differently across US metro areas and between employers; BLS national medians hide that spread.
• Employer type. Enterprises, managed service providers, government agencies and small businesses pay differently and ask for different skills.
• Specialization. Security, wireless, data center, cloud networking and automation skills are valued above generalist configuration work.
• Responsibility. On-call duty, shift work, team leadership and design authority all move pay.
• Negotiation and role fit. Two people with the same certification can receive very different offers for the same job.

The certification's job is to improve your chances of getting through a filter and into the conversation. After that, experience, interview performance and market conditions set the offer. Our CCNA exam guide shows what the exam proves, namely hands-on ability across routing, switching, services, security and automation, which is the kind of evidence hiring managers look for.

How much does CCNA itself change your salary?

We cannot give you a trustworthy percentage, and neither can anyone who has not controlled for experience, location and job. People who earn the CCNA are also more likely to be actively building a networking career, so comparing certified and uncertified people confuses the effect of the certificate with the effect of being motivated.

What can be said honestly is narrower. CCNA is widely named in networking job postings, it demonstrates configuration and troubleshooting skill, and it helps people without a degree or without networking job history get interviews. It does not substitute for experience, and it does not guarantee an offer. Check ten postings for the role you want in your own city before relying on any generic claim.

Which entry-level jobs can CCNA lead to?

• NOC technician or analyst. Monitor, triage and escalate network alerts. Often shift based, and a common way into networking with little experience.
• Help desk with a networking track. Start in user support (BLS median $61,860 for user support specialists) and take network tickets as your skills grow.
• Network support specialist. Troubleshoot connectivity and configuration, often at an MSP or reseller. BLS reports a $76,220 median for the closest occupation.
• Junior network administrator. Manage switches, routers, VLANs and access inside one organization.
• Field or installation technician. Deploy and test equipment at customer or branch sites.

Whichever door you use, the next step is the same: build a record of real change work, document what you did, and be ready to explain it in an interview. Candidates who can describe a lab or production problem they solved stand out from candidates who only list a certification.

What does the career path look like?

The pay references are occupation medians, not predictions for any person. Pay for a specific job depends on the factors above. A CCNP, for example, is often the next certification for engineers who want deeper routing, security or data center skills, and Cisco says a higher-level exam can renew your CCNA, so the study investment compounds.

What does the job outlook mean for CCNA holders?

BLS projections are mixed, and honesty requires saying so. It projects employment of network and computer systems administrators to decline 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, overall employment of computer support specialists to decline 3 percent over the same period, and computer network architects to grow 8 percent. A projected decline in total employment does not mean there are no openings, since workers leave and change occupations, but it does suggest the entry-level market can be competitive.

The practical response is to build skills that stay in demand: automation and programmability (part of the current CCNA), security fundamentals, cloud networking and the ability to troubleshoot across layers. Pairing CCNA with security or cloud knowledge is a stronger position than relying on the certification alone. If you are weighing a vendor-neutral route first, Network+ vs CCNA and Is Network+ worth it? explain how the two compare.

How should you read salary data critically?

1. Check the source and the year. Government data names its reference period (here, May 2025). Anonymous salary sites often do not.
2. Look for the method. Self-reported averages skew toward people who choose to report, and listing-based data reflects what employers advertise, not what they pay.
3. Prefer medians to averages. A few very high salaries inflate an average; a median is more stable.
4. Match the occupation. Make sure the title you target matches the occupation measured.
5. Separate cause from correlation. People with CCNA also have experience, location and employer advantages. The certification is one input.
6. Check local postings. Many postings now list pay ranges; compare ten for your city and role.

How can you increase your earning potential with CCNA?

• Get hands-on early. Use Packet Tracer and, later, real changes at work. Our CCNA study plan builds labs into the schedule.
• Document your work. Notes, diagrams and automation scripts turn experience into interview material.
• Add a specialty. Security, wireless, data center or automation raise your ceiling.
• Plan the next certification. A CCNP-level exam moves you up and renews your CCNA.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• BLS: Network and Computer Systems Administrators (Occupational Outlook Handbook)
• BLS: Computer Network Architects (Occupational Outlook Handbook)
• BLS: Computer Support Specialists (Occupational Outlook Handbook)
• Cisco: CCNA certification page

Last updated October 22, 2026. Wage figures are BLS May 2025 medians for whole occupations, not CCNA-specific pay. BLS updates its data annually; confirm current figures on bls.gov.