Network engineers, sometimes known as network administrators, design, install and maintain computer communication systems within an organisation or between companies. These systems allow employees to share files and resources, access the internet and email, and collect and process data.

Network engineers deal with four systems:

• local area networks (LANs) - connecting workstations within an office, building or limited area
• metropolitan area networks (MANs) - linking networks citywide or across a region
• wide area networks (WANs) - linking national or international networks 
• global area networks (GANs) - combining networks over an unlimited geographical area.

Network engineers' key responsibilities are to make sure that an organisation's computer system has the capacity to meet its business needs and is secure. Typical duties include:

• installing new software and hardware
• setting up user-accounts, permissions and passwords
• maintaining adequate security, especially where networks link to the internet
• finding and fixing faults
• implementing preventative maintenance schedules
• giving technical support for end-users
• providing training on new systems
• carrying out day-to-day administration and monitoring network use
• planning and implementing future developments.

Examples of their work can include installing a new computer-based call handling system or servicing a bank's ATM network. 

Hours and Environment

Network engineers normally work 37 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. They may need to work outside office hours when installing systems to minimise disruption to a client's service. Engineers are often on-call to cover any problems that occur outside normal working hours.

As a network engineer, your work is office-based either on one site or, if working on a large network operation, between sites.

Skills and Interests

As a network engineer, you need:

• excellent IT skills
• excellent problem-solving skills
• the ability to prioritise tasks
• the ability to explain technical issues clearly
• the ability to work within a team
• good interpersonal skills
• a commitment to keep up to date with the latest developments.

Entry

You may be able to get into network engineering through an apprenticeship scheme with an IT company, or within the IT department of a commercial or public organisation. Funding for apprenticeships is available for 16-24 year olds and some over-25s. To find out more, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk. For information about apprenticeships in other parts of the UK, see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can take IT courses at local colleges, which are open to any age group. These include:

• City & Guilds (E-Quals ICT Systems Support 7262) IT Practitioners Diploma Level 2 and Advanced Diploma Level 3
• BTEC National Certificate/Diploma for IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support)
• OCR (iPRO) Certificate for IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) at levels 2 and 3
• CompTIA i-Net+ Certification.

The City & Guilds and OCR awards at Level 3 also contain optional units taken from CompTIA, Cisco and Microsoft certifications. See the Training section for more details.

These courses aim to provide you with the relevant knowledge and practical skills to install, upgrade and maintain network systems. They will cover areas such as:

• network setup and configuration
• LAN, MAN, WAN and GAN networks
• networking protocols - TCP, IP, FTP and VOIP (internet telephony)
• data transmission technologies - Ethernet, ISDN, ASDL, wireless, and ATM
• network security - firewalls, anti-virus software and virtual private networks.

You may improve your prospects of getting into this job if you take a computing BTEC HNC/HND, foundation degree or degree. Employers will also consider other subjects and provide relevant training afterwards. At the moment, three out of five people working in computing started out with a non-IT degree.

For information about foundation degrees see Foundation Degree Forward. To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees see the  Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

If you already have qualifications and experience in other areas of IT, for example maintenance and installation, you may be able to move into a networking role. See the Computer Service and Repair Technician job profile.

See the e-skills, British Computer Society and CompTIA  websites (in Further Information) for more details about networking and other IT careers.

Training

Once you are working as a network engineer, it is important to keep your skills and knowledge up to date. You can do this by taking some of the courses listed below: 

• CompTIA Network+ Certification
• Certified Novell Engineer (CNE)
• City & Guilds Higher Professional Diploma in Information Management Using ICT or IT Practitioners Level 4
• OCR (iPRO) Higher Level award for IT Professionals (ICT Systems Support) Level 4
• NVQs/SVQs for IT Professionals at levels 3 and 4. 

Some of these cover Linux operating systems as well as Windows.

Cisco Certification 
Cisco offers certification at several levels for students and network professionals alike, including:

• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) – although not essential, ideally you should have a level 3 IT qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) – you will need CCNA or a equivalent level of knowledge and experience
• Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) – it is recommended that you have several years' IT experience.

You will find more details on the Cisco website.

Microsoft Certification
You can work towards a range of Microsoft awards but the two most relevant to this job are:

• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) – covering network analysis, design and implementation
• Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) –  covering network implementation, management and maintenance.

Once again, it is recommended that you hold a level 3 qualification or have extensive experience in the IT industry before starting certification training. See the Microsoft website for more details.

Graduate Professional Development Award (GDPA)
E-skills, higher education institutions and IT employers have developed this award, which you can take as part of an undergraduate, postgraduate or work-based training programme. It covers key skills required by the industry, including problem solving, teamworking and technical competencies. See e-skills UK for details.

The British Computer Society (BCS)
You can take the BCS professional awards to enhance your career prospects. These include a Certificate, Diploma and Professional Graduate Diploma, which are equivalent to the first, second and third year of a university honours degree. You can choose from options including computer networks and network information systems. Contact BCS for further details and entry requirements.

Opportunities

Recent employer surveys suggest a long term upward trend in demand for networking engineers. Opportunities exist in a variety of sectors including finance, retail, local and national government, the health service and utility companies. You can also work for IT firms, dealing with their own systems or working in their contract services divisions.

With experience, you can progress to network management jobs or, with additional training, move into other areas of IT like project management or information security. See the profiles for IT Project Manager and IT Security Coordinator.

A popular progression route is consultancy work as a network analyst, either with an IT consultancy firm or on a self-employed basis.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Salaries start between £15,000 and £20,000 a year.
With experience, earnings can rise to between £21,000 and £32,000.
Senior network engineers can earn over £35,000 a year.

Further information

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