Technology & IT · Network hiring guide
Denver has more computer network architects, the BLS group that includes most network engineers, than any other metro we track: 10,260 jobs and a concentration more than five times the national rate. Careerscape's network recruiters specialize in infrastructure and search nationally from a remote team, so a deep pool like Denver's is within reach for employers that can hire remotely or relocate.
Which role?
BLS counts most network engineers as computer network architects, so the job and pay figures on this page cover a broader group that includes senior designers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook treats "network engineer" as another name for network architect, and places administrators, who install, configure and maintain networks, in a separate occupation.
| Network administrator | Network engineer | Network architect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Keeps existing networks running: configuration, monitoring, user and device access | Builds and changes networks: deploys designs, upgrades equipment, solves escalated problems | Plans networks: layouts, capacity, security model and technology choices |
| BLS occupation | Network and computer systems administrators | Mostly counted as computer network architects | Computer network architects |
| BLS outlook, 2025-35 | -4% | 8% (as architects) | 8% |
| Typical entry path (BLS) | Bachelor's degree; some employers accept a certificate or associate's degree | Bachelor's degree; the architect group typically has 5 years or more of related experience | Bachelor's degree plus 5 years or more in a related occupation |
| Hire this when | The network is stable and needs daily care | You have projects, growth or recurring problems no one has time to fix | You are redesigning, merging networks or moving heavily to cloud |
Titles vary by employer. O*NET's sample titles for this group include network analyst, networking systems engineer, WAN engineer and wireless network engineer. For administrator pay benchmarks, see our systems administrator guide, since BLS counts network and systems administrators together. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer Network Architects; Network and Computer Systems Administrators (last modified Aug 27, 2026).
Where they work
Denver (10,260 jobs) edges out New York City (10,230) for the most computer network architects of the 29 metros we track. Its location quotient of 5.51 means the occupation is more than five times as concentrated there as in the U.S. overall. Washington, DC (2.58) and Raleigh-Durham (2.55) are next.
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 10,260 | $139,230+4% | 5.51 |
| New York City | 10,230 | $163,010+22% | 0.93 |
| Washington, DC | 9,370 | $159,820+19% | 2.58 |
| Dallas | 5,900 | $137,900+3% | 1.26 |
| Atlanta | 5,880 | $133,890±0% | 1.76 |
| Chicago | 5,400 | $143,800+7% | 1.04 |
| Boston | 5,240 | $160,650+20% | 1.68 |
| Seattle | 3,710 | $172,650+29% | 1.54 |
| Los Angeles | 3,500 | $147,510+10% | 0.48 |
| San Francisco | 3,350 | $166,760+24% | 1.22 |
| Phoenix | 3,330 | $131,990−2% | 1.21 |
| Philadelphia | 3,070 | $138,850+4% | 0.92 |
| Baltimore | 2,480 | $160,340+20% | 1.58 |
| Charlotte | 2,350 | $134,410±0% | 1.50 |
| Houston | 2,200 | $124,900−7% | 0.58 |
| Raleigh-Durham | 2,190 | $120,640−10% | 2.55 |
| Miami | 1,940 | $133,650±0% | 0.60 |
| Austin | 1,700 | $133,710±0% | 1.13 |
| Minneapolis | 1,670 | $134,230±0% | 0.74 |
| Nashville | 1,650 | $129,370−3% | 1.30 |
| Detroit | 1,570 | $128,830−4% | 0.71 |
| Tampa | 1,500 | $130,750−2% | 0.90 |
| San Diego | 1,490 | $157,700+18% | 0.84 |
| Pittsburgh | 1,110 | $123,410−8% | 0.86 |
| Portland | 1,050 | $137,200+2% | 0.75 |
| Hartford | 690 | $159,720+19% | 1.00 |
| Buffalo | 620 | $131,320−2% | 1.00 |
| Providence | 520 | $131,320−2% | 0.63 |
| Albany | 430 | $121,000−10% | 0.83 |
Raleigh-Durham combines a deep pool with the lowest median on the list ($120,640). Seattle ($172,650), San Francisco ($166,760) and New York City ($163,010) pay the most. Los Angeles has the thinnest pool relative to its size (0.48), so on-site roles there may need a relocation budget or a hybrid schedule. These are BLS OEWS metro estimates for May 2025 for the broader architect group. City-level IT hiring is covered in the technology industry pages. Computer Network Architects, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $134,050. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job is a bigger share of local employment than nationally.
Certifications
BLS notes that employers may require or prefer certification in the products they use, offered by vendors or by vendor-neutral providers. In Cisco environments, the associate-level CCNA and the professional-level CCNP are the usual reference points. CompTIA Network+ is the common vendor-neutral credential, valid for three years, and fits junior roles better than engineering ones.
Most Cisco certifications stay active for three years. Holders can recertify by retaking the exam, moving up a level, or earning continuing education credits: 30 for CCNA and 80 for CCNP.
The CCNA exam is changing. Cisco says the last day to test on the current 200-301 CCNA v1.1 exam is February 2, 2027, and CCNA v2.0 goes live on February 3, 2027. Cisco describes the new version as a change in depth rather than a total overhaul, with practical assessments, security and AI woven throughout, and more troubleshooting tasks.
For hiring, that means two things. A CCNA earned in 2026 is fully valid for its three years, so don't discount it. And a posting that asks for "CCNA v2.0" before February 2027 asks for something nobody can have yet. A certification shows knowledge, not change discipline, so test how candidates plan and roll back changes in the interview.
Interview
Pair two or three of these with a whiteboard or diagram exercise. Listen for how candidates gather evidence before they change anything.
Listen for: A layered approach, data before changes (interface counters, flow data, monitoring history), and likely suspects such as WAN saturation, scheduled backups or quality-of-service settings. They also talk to the users.
Listen for: DNS, DHCP, the default gateway, NAT, the firewall and the internet edge, in a sensible order, with a test for each step.
Listen for: A maintenance window, peer review, pre-checks and post-checks, a written rollback, and an honest account of what they changed in their process afterward.
Listen for: Multiple internet providers, failover and scale as reasons, with the operational cost of BGP stated plainly. O*NET lists BGP among the in-demand skills for this occupation.
Listen for: Specific tools such as Python or Ansible, configurations stored in Git, automated backups, and caution about pushing changes to many devices at once.
Listen for: Separate VLANs or VRFs, firewall policy between zones, least-privilege rules, and awareness that payment systems bring their own compliance requirements.
BLS pay
Because BLS counts most network engineers as computer network architects, these national figures for May 2025 include senior design roles. The median is $134,050, and the middle half earned between $104,620 and $168,200.
Middle half of all workers (25th to 75th percentile)
An engineer who mainly runs and changes an existing network often prices below the architect median, nearer the 25th percentile. Hires who design networks, own security architecture or lead data center or cloud networking sit at the median and above. See the network engineer Salary Guide for ranges by level. Annual pay, all U.S. employers, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupation: Computer Network Architects. BLS does not publish this title separately; the figures are for computer network architects, the closest BLS occupation, which can include other job titles. Pay by level and city: Network Engineer salary guide.
Template
Name the environment in the first line: campus, WAN, data center, cloud or a mix. It is the fastest way for the right candidates to recognize the job.
[Company] is hiring a network engineer to build, change and troubleshoot the [campus, WAN, data center or cloud] network that connects [locations and users]. You will turn designs into working configurations, keep changes safe, and solve the problems others escalate.
Specialties
Most network searches fall into one of these groups. Naming the group in your request narrows the candidate pool to people who have done that exact work.
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FAQ
A network engineer designs, builds and fixes the networks that connect an organization's people, offices, data centers and cloud services. BLS, which treats the title as another name for network architect, lists the work as planning network layouts, deploying and testing networks, upgrading hardware and software, documenting processes, researching new technology and troubleshooting performance after deployment.
For Cisco environments it is a useful baseline, and for senior roles CCNP carries more weight. A CCNA stays valid for three years and renews with 30 continuing education credits. The current 200-301 v1.1 exam ends on February 2, 2027, and v2.0 starts the next day, so a recent v1.1 certification is still current. Always test hands-on skill as well.
Demand is growing. BLS projects 8% growth for computer network architects from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 9,600 openings a year. The talent is concentrated: Denver, Washington, DC and Raleigh-Durham have the highest location quotients among the metros we track. Opening a role to remote or hybrid candidates widens the pool considerably.
Contract fits projects with an end date, such as an equipment refresh, an office rollout or a data center move. Contract staffing brings in someone who has done that project before. A permanent role makes sense when the network needs an owner for years. Direct hire and contract-to-hire both work for that.
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