jobfacts

IT network professionals

SOC 2020 2137

IT network professionals design, set up and maintain computer networks, support the network users and fix problems which arise.

Also calledNetwork engineerNetwork administratorLinux systems engineerNetwork analystNetwork designerNetwork plannerand 7 more titles
Typical full-time pay£48,9002025 Provisional
People in the job34,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month704↑ 6.5%on last year · 227th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time IT network professionals earn between £40,100 and £66,200 a year.

What full-time IT network professionals earn, 2025
£48,900 typical£36,400lowest 10%£70,000top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£40,100–£66,200)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£36,400
Lowest 20% earn less than£39,000
25%£40,100
Median£48,900
75%£66,200
Top 20% earn more than£70,000
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £48,900
London!£55,800
East of England!£52,900
West Midlands!£52,600
East Midlands!£50,000
South West!£47,300
Yorkshire and The Humber!£45,800
South East!£44,200
North West!£42,500
Scotland!£39,000
North EastNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £48,900
London£55,800 (small sample)
East of England£52,900 (small sample)
West Midlands£52,600 (small sample)
East Midlands£50,000 (small sample)
South West£47,300 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£45,800 (small sample)
South East£44,200 (small sample)
North West£42,500 (small sample)
Scotland£39,000 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £43,700
  • 2024 £45,600
  • 2025 Provisional£48,900
↑ 12% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 704 jobs for IT network professionals are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026Not published
Jul 2026626
Jun 2026880
May 2026893
Apr 2026690
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026571
Jan 2026792
Dec 2025366
Nov 2025782
Oct 2025713
Sept 2025722
Aug 2025638
Jul 2025725
Jun 2025924
May 2025902
Apr 2025787
Mar 2025637
Feb 2025586
Jan 2025545
Dec 2024400
Nov 2024517
Oct 2024611
Sept 2024610
Aug 2024587
Jul 2024661
Jun 2024556
May 2024616
Apr 2024680
Mar 2024608
Feb 2024762
Jan 2024878
Dec 2023727
Nov 2023713
Oct 2023833
Sept 2023763
Aug 2023984
Jul 20231,072
Jun 20231,344
May 20231,147
Apr 20231,064
Mar 20231,309
Feb 20231,425
Jan 20231,579
Dec 20221,417
Nov 20221,841
Oct 20221,667
Sept 20221,841
Aug 20221,782
Jul 20221,770
Jun 20221,752
May 20221,998
Apr 20221,541
Mar 20221,886
Feb 20221,726
Jan 20221,897
Dec 20211,433
Nov 20211,471
Oct 20211,487
Sept 20211,373
Aug 20211,470
Jul 20211,847
Jun 20211,459
May 20212,003
Apr 20212,202
Mar 20212,280
Feb 20211,384
Jan 20211,745
Dec 20201,143
Nov 20201,493
Oct 20201,264
Sept 20201,174
Aug 20201,203
Jul 20201,163
Jun 20201,044
May 20201,045
Apr 20201,351
Mar 20201,992
Feb 20201,746
Jan 20201,642
Dec 20191,167
Nov 20191,758
Oct 20191,733
Sept 20191,760
Aug 20191,898
Jul 20192,549
Jun 20192,475
May 20192,303
Apr 20191,356
Mar 20191,751
Feb 20191,711
Jan 20191,604
Dec 20181,110
Nov 20181,447
Oct 20181,496
Sept 20181,620
Aug 20181,602
Jul 20181,552
Jun 20181,622
May 20181,657
Apr 20181,547
Mar 20181,740
Feb 20181,603
Jan 20181,821
Dec 20171,414
Nov 20171,752
Oct 20171,759
Sept 20171,430
Aug 20171,746
Jul 20171,547
Jun 20172,103
May 20172,358
Apr 20172,298
Mar 20172,293
Feb 20171,984
Jan 20172,316
Is there a shortage of IT network professionals?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was elevated.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
7.2%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for information technology professionals, which includes IT network professionals. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London547
Manchester87
Birmingham74
Bristol, City of54
Glasgow City47
Leeds43
City of Edinburgh33
Belfast32
Reading29
Sheffield27
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where IT network professionals are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 89 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from India, United States, China, ranking it 106th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of IT network professionals
n/p
n/p
25%!
28%!
18%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4425% (small sample)
45–5428% (small sample)
55–6418% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent56%
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent!23%
GCSEs or equivalent!17%
Other qualifications!5.5%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent56%
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalent23% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent17% (small sample)
Other qualifications5.5% (small sample)

Main employers: computer consultancy activities (13%), wireless telecommunications activities (11%), computer programming activities (10%), wired telecommunications activities (10%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
56%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
2
from level 4, including degree apprenticeships
Apprenticeships take
2 to 4 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You could take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

  • network engineering
  • computer science
  • electronic engineering
  • network security
  • software engineering

Related subjects like physics, maths or electrical engineering can also be useful.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You could do a college course which may help you to find a trainee network engineer position.

Courses include:

  • networking and architecture
  • networking and cyber security
  • IT-networking
  • network security
  • T Level in Digital Support and Security
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Software and Data Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Hardware, Network and Infrastructure Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Network Cable Installer Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Network Engineer Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship - networking option
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Work your way up

You could start as a network technician and do an industry recognised certificate on the job, such as Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) or CompTIA Network+.

Registration and professional bodies

Further information

You can find out more about computing careers and training through The Chartered Institute for IT and techskills.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for network engineer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job
Level 6About 4 yearsDegree

Digital and technology solutions professional

You gain
Digital and Technology Solutions Professional
Leads to
British Computer Society
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
CertHE Network EngineerHigher technical4
Certificate of Higher Education in Technical Practice in Network EngineeringHigher technical4
HNC Network EngineerHigher technical4
NCFE Level 4 Diploma: Network EngineerHigher technical4
Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Computer Systems Engineering for EnglandHigher technical4
Diploma of Higher Education in Network EngineeringHigher technical5
FD ComputingHigher technical5
FD Cyber SecurityHigher technical5
FdSc Computer Networks and CybersecurityHigher technical5
FdSc ComputingHigher technical5
FdSc Computing with NetworkingHigher technical5
FdSc Network Engineering (Systems Administration)Higher technical5
FdSc Networking and Cyber SecurityHigher technical5
Foundation Degree of Science (FdSc) in Computer ScienceHigher technical5
HND Applied ComputingHigher technical5
NCFE Level 5 Diploma: Cloud Systems and Secure NetworkingHigher technical5
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computer Systems Engineering for EnglandHigher technical5
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for EnglandHigher technical5
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Digital Technologies for EnglandHigher technical5

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • implements and evaluates new networking environments, including software and hardware
  • monitors performance and makes recommendations concerning network quality.
  • creates users' accounts and provides troubleshooting service to users
  • ensures network security, reports on, investigates and fixes network faults
  • writes operational documentation and provides subsequent support and training for users

Skills

  • analyse business requirements
  • collect customer feedback on applications
  • design computer network
  • design process
  • develop creative ideas
  • forecast future ICT network needs
  • implement ICT network diagnostic tools
  • perform resource planning
  • provide cost benefit analysis reports
  • provide technical documentation
  • create solutions to problems
  • perform ICT troubleshooting
  • adjust ICT system capacity
  • analyse network bandwidth requirements

Knowledge

  • business process modelling
  • cloud technologies
  • ICT network routing
  • ICT security standards
  • network management system tools
  • computer programming
  • crowdsourcing strategy
  • ICT capacity planning strategies

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Working with ideas and solving problems

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for science, research, engineering and technology professionals, a group of 28 jobs that includes IT network professionals.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 18%about 394,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.