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Computer Network Architects

What They Do:

  • Develop or recommend network security measures, such as firewalls, network security audits, or automated security probes.
  • Develop disaster recovery plans.
  • Monitor and analyze network performance and reports on data input or output to detect problems, identify inefficient use of computer resources, or perform capacity planning.
  • Coordinate network or design activities with designers of associated networks.
  • Develop conceptual, logical, or physical network designs.

Source: O*NET (2021)

Sample Job Titles:

  1. Design Engineer
  2. Network Analyst
  3. Network and Security Engineer
  4. Network Consultant
  5. Telecommunications Analyst

Source: O*NET (2021)

Outlook in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area)

Employment (Q1 2021) 2,672
Projected Annual Growth 0.4%
Average Entry Level Salary $ 89,600
Median Salary $130,200

Source: Burning Glass Technologies’ Labor Insight™ Real-time Labor Market Information tool. Analysis conducted in October 2021 by Greater Washington Partnership. Data above represents job postings from the past 12 months (January 2020 - December 2020).

Supply-Demand Snapshot: Computer Network Architects (all levels)
Entry Level Job Ads
1,663
Current Workforce
2,672

Source: Burning Glass Technologies’ Labor Insight™ Real-time Labor Market Information tool. Analysis conducted in October 2021 by Greater Washington Partnership. Data above represents job postings from the past 12 months (January 2020 - December 2020).

Preferred Certifications

(requested in at least 10% of entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Security Clearance (30%)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) (24%)
  • Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) (13%)
  • CompTIA Security+ (13%)

Top 10 Skills Requested

(entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Network Engineering
  • Cisco
  • Routers
  • System/Network Configuration
  • Wide Area Network (WAN)
  • Network Administration
  • Telecommunications
  • Network Troubleshooting
  • Cisco Switching
  • Information Systems

Source: Greater Washington Partnership Analysis of Burning Glass data, Q1 2021

Outlook in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area)

Employment (Q1 2021) 7,836
Projected Annual Growth 0.9%
Average Entry Level Salary $93,000
Median Salary $ 134,200

Source: Burning Glass Technologies’ Labor Insight™ Real-time Labor Market Information tool. Analysis conducted in October 2021 by Greater Washington Partnership. Data above represents job postings from the past 12 months (January 2020 - December 2020).

Supply-Demand Snapshot: Computer Network Architects (all levels)
Entry Level Job Ads
6,713
Current Workforce
7,836

Source: Burning Glass Technologies’ Labor Insight™ Real-time Labor Market Information tool. Analysis conducted in October 2021 by Greater Washington Partnership. Data above represents job postings from the past 12 months (January 2020 - December 2020).

Preferred Certifications

(requested in at least 10% of entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Security Clearance (38%)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) (27%)
  • Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) (22%)
  • CompTIA Security+ (15%)

Top 10 Skills Requested

(entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Network Engineering
  • Cisco
  • Routers
  • System/Network Configuration
  • Wide Area Network (WAN)
  • Telecommunications
  • Network Troubleshooting
  • Network Administration
  • Border Gateway Protocol
  • Network Infrastructure (Edge POE Devices)

Source: Greater Washington Partnership Analysis of Burning Glass data, Q1 2021

Outlook in the Richmond, VA MSA MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area)

Employment (Q1 2021) 814
Projected Annual Growth 0.4%
Average Entry Level Salary $80,000
Median Salary $116,700

Source: Burning Glass Technologies’ Labor Insight™ Real-time Labor Market Information tool. Analysis conducted in October 2021 by Greater Washington Partnership. Data above represents job postings from the past 12 months (January 2020 - December 2020).

Supply-Demand Snapshot: Computer Network Architects (all levels)
Entry Level Job Ads
486
Current Workforce
814

Source: Burning Glass Technologies’ Labor Insight™ Real-time Labor Market Information tool. Analysis conducted in October 2021 by Greater Washington Partnership. Data above represents job postings from the past 12 months (January 2020 - December 2020).

Preferred Certifications

(requested in at least 10% of entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) (19%)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) (16%)

Top 10 Skills Requested

(entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Network Engineering
  • Cisco
  • Project Management
  • Business Process
  • Wide Area Network (WAN)
  • Network Troubleshooting
  • Technical Writing/Editing
  • Requirements Analysis
  • Extensible Markup Language (XML)
  • Business Process Modelling

Source: Greater Washington Partnership Analysis of Burning Glass data, Q1 2021

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