Network Engineer Salary Guide 2026
5G infrastructure and cloud networking sustaining steady demand.
National Median: $112,000
Range: $85K – $170K
Avg Total Comp
$130,000
Experience Level
CCNP/CCIE certifications add $15-20k premium nationally.
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Transition Opportunity
Generalist salaries for Network Engineer are stagnating as the market shifts toward specialized AI execution. Join The Foundry to pivot your career into high-growth technical tracks.
Metro Area Breakdown
20 MarketsSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA
CalculatedMedian: $151,200
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley CA
CalculatedMedian: $148,960
New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ-PA
CalculatedMedian: $138,880
Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH
CalculatedMedian: $136,640
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA
CalculatedMedian: $134,400
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV
CalculatedMedian: $134,400
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA
CalculatedMedian: $134,400
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad CA
CalculatedMedian: $128,800
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN-WI
CalculatedMedian: $123,200
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood CO
CalculatedMedian: $120,960
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown TX
CalculatedMedian: $117,600
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX
CalculatedMedian: $117,600
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta GA
CalculatedMedian: $115,360
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach FL
CalculatedMedian: $114,240
Raleigh-Durham-Cary NC
CalculatedMedian: $112,000
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI
CalculatedMedian: $109,760
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC
CalculatedMedian: $109,760
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ
CalculatedMedian: $108,640
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MI
CalculatedMedian: $107,520
Salt Lake City UT
CalculatedMedian: $106,400
Benchmarks marked "Calculated" are derived from the national median using verified geographic cost-of-living multipliers. Direct survey data is used where available.