Computer Network Support Specialist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of computer network support specialists to grow 1.2% from 2025 to 2035 (about 1,900 more jobs), with about 9,000 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $76,220 a year ranks 267th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +1.2%
- Openings a year
- 9,000
- Median pay
- $76,220
- Pay rank
- 267th of 825
Is employment of computer network support specialists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of computer network support specialists to rise 1.2% (about 1,900 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +7.3% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 21 computer and mathematical occupations with a projection. That change ranks 541st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 152,500 |
| Employment, 2035 | 154,400 |
| Projected change | +1.2% |
| Openings a year | 9,000 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 152,500 jobs here differ from the 146,190 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 9,000 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 286th most of 830 occupations. About 98% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 190 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for computer network support specialists rank?
The median of $76,220 a year ranks 267th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: associate's degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Network Architects | +7.7% | 9,600 | $134,050 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | -4.1% | 13,400 | $99,130 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | -3.5% | 39,700 | $61,860 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | +5.1% | 27,000 | $116,580 |
| Information Security Analysts | +21.0% | 14,100 | $129,180 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | +7.9% | 32,900 | $105,850 |
| Database Administrators | -0.1% | 3,300 | $104,620 |
| Software Developers | +10.2% | 95,300 | $135,980 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.