Computer network architects design and implement data communication networks, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and intranets.
Computer network architects design and implement data communication networks, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and intranets. These networks range from small connections between two offices to virtual capabilities such as a cloud infrastructure that serves multiple customers.
Duties
Computer network architects typically do the following:
Create plans and layouts for data communication networks
Present designs to management, customers, and staff
Deploy planned networks, testing to ensure proper implementation
Document processes for posterity
Upgrade hardware, such as routers or adaptors, and software, such as network drivers, as needed to support computer networks
Research and recommend new technologies for network performance
Computer network architects, or network engineers, design and deploy computer and information networks. They consider an organization’s specific needs and requirements, such as information security, when planning networks. As part of the implementation process, network architects deploy and configure network equipment. They test the equipment and the network during all stages of implementation to check for slowdowns, blackouts, or points of failure.
Network architects create documentation throughout the design and deployment process as a reference for future network enhancements or maintenance. After deployment, they also may manage the networks and troubleshoot any issues that arise. They analyze data traffic and system performance to determine future upgrades.
Computer network architects held about 177,800 jobs in 2023. The largest employers of computer network architects were as follows:
Computer systems design and related services
24%
Telecommunications
12
Management of companies and enterprises
9
Temporary help services
4
Educational services; state, local, and private
4
Computer network architects spend most of their time in office settings. They occasionally work in server rooms, where they have access to the hardware that makes up an organization’s computer and information network.
Work Schedules
Most computer network architects work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
How to Become a Computer Network Architect
Network architects typically need several years of experience in a related occupation, such as a network administrator.
Computer network architects typically need a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field and experience in a related occupation, such asnetwork and computer systems administrators.
Education
Computer network architects typically need a bachelor’s degree incomputer and information technology,engineering, or a relatedfield. Degree programs in a computer-related field give prospective network architects hands-on experience in classes such as network security or database design. These programs prepare network architects to be able to work with the wide array of technologies used in networks.
However, education requirements may vary. Some employers consider candidates who do not have a bachelor's degree, and others express no preference. Still others prefer to hire candidates who have a master’s degree.
Employers may require or prefer that their network architects be certified in the products they use. Certification programs usually are offered directly from vendors or from vendor-neutral certification providers. Certification validates the knowledge and the use of best practices that are required of network architects.
Advancement
Experienced network architects may advance into management positions, such ascomputer and information systems managers (sometimes called chief technology officers).
Important Qualities
Analytical skills.Computer network architects examine data networks and decide how to connect the networks based on an organization’s needs and resources.
Detail oriented.Computer network architects create comprehensive plans of the networks they are creating with precise information describing how the network parts will work together.
Interpersonal skills.These workers collaborate with others to successfully design and implement computer and information networks.
Leadership skills.Many computer network architects direct teams of workers to help design, build, and maintain networks.
Organizational skills.Computer network architects may need to coordinate many different types of communication networks to make sure they work well together.
Problem-solving skills. These workers must be able to resolve issues that arise with computer networks.
Pay
Computer Network Architects
Median annual wages, May 2023
Computer network architects
$129,840
Computer occupations
$104,420
Total, all occupations
$48,060
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
The median annual wage for computer network architects was $129,840 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $77,960, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $195,000.
In May 2023, the median annual wages for computer network architects in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Computer systems design and related services
$134,130
Management of companies and enterprises
133,340
Temporary help services
127,670
Telecommunications
106,860
Educational services; state, local, and private
102,210
Most computer network architects work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
Job Outlook
Computer Network Architects
Percent change in employment, projected 2023-33
Computer network architects
13%
Computer occupations
12%
Total, all occupations
4%
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Employment of computer network architects is projected to grow 13 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 12,300 openings for computer network architects are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Demand for computer network architects will grow as firms continue to design and build new information technology (IT) networks and upgrade existing ones. Companies looking to leverage technological investments, such as artificial intelligence (AI), will need these workers to upgrade their IT infrastructure. Additionally, continued expansion of cloud computing will increase demand for these workers to ensure that networks are properly designed and that transition to the new network proceeds smoothly.
Employment projections data for computer network architects, 2023-33
Occupational Title
SOC Code
Employment, 2023
Projected Employment, 2033
Change, 2023-33
Employment by Industry
Percent
Numeric
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Software developers design computer applications or programs. Software quality assurance analysts and testers identify problems with applications or programs and report defects.
Bachelor's degree
$130,160
HAMNIC Solutions is here to support your graduate journey. Our professional writing and editing expertise helps you manage your academic workload, reduce stress, and focus on well-being for a balanced academic and personal life. Visit HAMNIC Solutions to learn how we can make your student life easier and healthier, enabling you to achieve your academic ambitions without sacrificing a balanced lifestyle.
