Occupation salary profile

Computer Network Support Specialists

SOC 15-1231 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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. Excludes “Computer Network Architects” (15-1241) and “Network and Computer Systems Administrators” (15-1244).

National median · BLS
$76,220
▲ +3.93% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$83,428
▲ +8.96% YoY · 666 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$81,870
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
146,190
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Computer Network Support Specialists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 666 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$47,120$60,181
25th$58,240$69,682
Median (50th)$76,220$83,428
75th$98,750$108,074
90th — top pay$127,780$130,000
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $83,428 for Computer Network Support Specialists — 9.5% above the BLS national median of $76,220.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Computer Network Support Specialists

BLS projects employment of computer network support specialists to grow 1.2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 9,000 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
152,500 → 154,400
+1,900 jobs
Projected change
+1.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
9,000
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
2.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need an associate's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $83,428
Change vs prior year +8.96%
After inflation (CPI-U) +5.65%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 143 21.5% $57,720 $66,186 $70,824
Level II 346 52% $69,682 $83,000 $91,583
Level III 109 16.4% $94,000 $113,326 $135,000
Level IV 56 8.4% $109,047 $124,932 $146,953
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Computer Network Support Specialists

The 8 most-filed job titles inside SOC 15-1231, from 666 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Computer Network Support Specialist 169 25.38% $70,824 $80,000 $91,583 +4.49%
Subject Matter Expert 73 10.96% $65,936 $88,878 $115,008 +37.53%
Network Engineer 47 7.06% $79,250 $97,920 $122,050 +14.09%
Lead, Cloud Infrastructure Services 20 3% $65,000 $75,375 $85,754 -5.78%
Network Support Specialist 18 2.7% $72,000 $76,969 $79,500 -3.79%
Manager, Support Engineer-External 16 2.4% $131,396 $169,350 $181,200 +18.59%
Administrator generic 11 1.65% $65,926 $75,691 $90,792 +14.79%
Lead Administrator 10 1.5% $84,406 $93,315 $109,900 +46.09%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Computer Network Support Specialists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Active Listening3.5
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.4
  • Reading Comprehension3.4
  • Active Learning3.3
  • Complex Problem Solving3.3
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Speaking3.3
  • Systems Analysis3.1
  • Troubleshooting3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Computers and Electronics5.0
  • Telecommunications3.8
  • Customer and Personal Service3.5
  • Engineering and Technology3.4
  • English Language3.3
  • Administration and Management3.1
  • Communications and Media3.0
  • Education and Training3.0
Software and technology used
Apple macOSLinuxMicrosoft Active DirectoryMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows ServerServiceNowFirewall softwareAdobe AcrobatApache TomcatBashBorder Gateway Protocol BGPMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Azure softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerShell

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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.

About the job

What computer network support specialists do

  • Back up network data.
  • Configure security settings or access permissions for groups or individuals.
  • Analyze and report computer network security breaches or attempted breaches.
  • Identify the causes of networking problems, using diagnostic testing software and equipment.
  • Document network support activities.
  • Configure wide area network (WAN) or local area network (LAN) routers or related equipment.
  • Install network software, including security or firewall software.
  • Troubleshoot network or connectivity problems for users or user groups.
Also called
Network SpecialistNetwork Technical AnalystNetwork TechnicianSystems SpecialistComputer Network SpecialistIT Consultant (Information Technology Consultant)Network Support SpecialistPersonal Computer Network Analyst
More job titles for this occupation (62)
Cloud EngineerCloud Support SpecialistComputer Network AnalystComputer Network Support SpecialistComputer NetworkerComputer Operations TechnicianComputer Systems SpecialistConfiguration TechnicianControls ProgrammerCustomer EngineerCustomer Service EngineerCustomer Support EngineerCyber Defense Incident ResponderDeployment Technician (Deployment Tech)Field Systems TechnicianField Technician (Field Tech)Help Desk Technician (Help Desk Tech)Information Technology Network Specialist (IT Network Specialist)Information Technology Operations Analyst (IT Operations Analyst)Installation TechnicianInternet Network SpecialistInternet SpecialistInternetworking TechnicianIT Network Technician (Information Technology Network Technician)IT Support Technician (Information Technology Support Technician)IT Tech (Information Technology Technician)LAN Support Specialist (Local Area Network Support Specialist)Network AnalystNetwork and Threat Support SpecialistNetwork Applications SpecialistNetwork ConsultantNetwork Control AnalystNetwork Control Analyst AssistantNetwork Data SpecialistNetwork Desktop Support SpecialistNetwork Diagnostic Support SpecialistNetwork Field TechnicianNetwork Management SpecialistNetwork Operations AnalystNetwork Operations SpecialistNetwork Operations TechnicianNetwork Relations ConsultantNetwork Services SpecialistNetwork Support EngineerNetwork Support TechnicianNetwork Workstation Technical SpecialistNetworking SpecialistNOC Technician (Network Operations Center Technician)Operations Support TechnicianSupport EngineerSupport TechnicianSurveillance TechnicianSystems Support EngineerSystems Support RepresentativeSystems Support SpecialistTechnical AnalystTechnical Services SpecialistTechnical Support SpecialistTechnical Support Technician (Technical Support Tech)Telecommunications Network TechnicianVoIP Technician (Voice over Internet Protocol Technician)WAN Support Specialist (Wide Area Network Support Specialist)

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.