What Is Network Engineer? – Definition
Network Engineer Definition
A network engineer is a technology professional who is highly skilled in maintaining the connectivity of networks in terms of data, voice, calls, videos and wireless network services. These network engineers are also referred to as network architects.By our Network engineer definition, they are accountable for formulating, implementing and executing the entirety of computer networks within an organization.
Additionally, our network engineer definition addresses their role making sure all the systems are functioning properly as intended. The fundamental goal of a network engineer is to provide maximum network infrastructure, security and performance to the end users. Depending on an organization’s requirement or network complexity, the organization will sometimes have global network engineers across countries who take care of technological advancements throughout the firm. This international web of engineers proves cost-effective for the organization while also meeting needs for users and the business.
Job Skills
A network engineer is required to have the necessary skills to plan, implement and oversee the computer networks that support in-house voice, data, videos and wireless network services.
The virtualized network poses challenges to network management systems and as more hardware components are virtualized, that challenge becomes even greater.
Often the job titles, network engineer and network administrator are used interchangeably, which can confuse people. However, a networking engineer usually has more executive responsibilities than a network administrator does.
The engineering side of things tends to deal more with planning, design and technical specifications, whereas the administration side of things deals mostly with day-to-day maintenance, management and troubleshooting efforts.
Computer network engineers have computer science as a common major. Network engineers focus on delivering high-availability network infrastructure to sustain the online and on-site information technology activities of users. In addition to technical skills, network engineers need analytical skills, leadership skills and organizational skills.
The network engineer salary ranges from $46,500 to more than $115,000 annually, depending upon skills and experience. The first and most direct way to get a job working as a network engineer is to do some self-study and get vendor certifications, such as becoming a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).
The top five Networking Certifications are CCIE, CCNP, JNCIE-ENT, CompTIA Network+, and WCNA.
Responsibilities of a Network Engineer
Network engineering remains one of the top technology fields in today’s job market. Within network engineering a wide variety of positions exist, providing plenty of opportunity for growth, transition and increased challenges within the field. Below is an informative guide to help you understand more about this promising career.
Key Responsibilities
On-Demand Jobs for Network Engineer
In this digital world, technology has grown tremendously, which means the demand for network engineers is huge. There are a multitude of network engineer jobs available in the marketplace, where companies are looking for skilled, talented and certified professionals who can work with their specific project needs. Depending on the company and the project, the role of a network engineer varies.
Job Description
The network engineer job description varies with the company’s requirements. Skills and experience are typically required for these network engineer jobs. Different types and positions within network engineering include: network technician, network analyst, wireless network engineer, network security engineer, network administrator, network manager.
Each position has a different job description and engineers who want to apply for these job roles should have special skills and qualifications for the position.