A network administrator with a CCNA in Dallas earns about $72,000. The same credential in San Jose averages $95,000. That $23,000 gap exists before experience, specialization, or employer type even enter the picture. If you're researching Cisco CCNA salary ranges, the single number you'll find on most sites—"$75,000 to $110,000"—isn't wrong, it's just not useful. This guide breaks it down by role, city, and career stage so you know what to expect from day one through senior-level positions.
What Cisco CCNA Salary Data Actually Shows in 2026
The national median for professionals whose job postings explicitly list CCNA as a requirement or qualification sits around $78,000–$85,000 in early 2026, based on aggregated data from job boards and compensation platforms. But that median obscures wide variance across three major variables: job title, geography, and years of experience.
Here's a realistic salary range by the roles CCNA holders most commonly land:
- Help Desk / IT Support Technician (CCNA-level): $45,000–$62,000
- Network Administrator: $65,000–$85,000
- Network Engineer: $80,000–$105,000
- Systems Engineer (networking-focused): $90,000–$120,000
- Network Security Analyst: $85,000–$115,000
- Cloud Networking Engineer: $95,000–$130,000
CCNA alone doesn't put you at the top of any of those ranges. It gets you in the door. What moves you up is hands-on configuration experience, additional certifications (CCNP, AWS Networking, or security-focused certs), and time on the job dealing with real production issues.
Geographic Salary Differences
Location is the highest-variance factor. Coastal metros and tech-heavy metros pay significantly more, but cost of living adjustments shrink the gap.
- San Jose / San Francisco Bay Area: $92,000–$120,000 (network engineer range)
- New York City: $85,000–$115,000
- Seattle: $88,000–$112,000
- Austin: $75,000–$100,000
- Dallas / Fort Worth: $70,000–$92,000
- Chicago: $72,000–$95,000
- Phoenix / Atlanta: $65,000–$85,000
- Remote roles (US-based): $75,000–$105,000 — often pegged to employer HQ location
Remote work has compressed geographic differences somewhat. A mid-level network engineer at a distributed company might earn $90,000 regardless of whether they're in Phoenix or Pittsburgh, if the role is genuinely remote and the employer uses a national pay scale.
How Experience Affects Cisco CCNA Salary
The credential itself is entry-level. Cisco designed CCNA to validate foundational networking knowledge—routing protocols, switching concepts, IP addressing, basic security and automation. What you earn depends heavily on how much real-world experience you combine with that certification.
Entry Level (0–2 Years Experience)
Most people entering networking with just a CCNA and minimal hands-on time land in the $52,000–$70,000 range, typically in network administrator, NOC analyst, or IT support roles. The jobs exist—networking is a field with consistent hiring—but the starting salaries reflect that you're still building practical skills. Don't expect to negotiate hard in the first role; focus on environments where you'll actually touch configurations.
Mid Level (3–5 Years)
This is where CCNA-certified professionals see the most significant salary jumps, particularly those who've added certifications and gained exposure to enterprise environments. The $78,000–$100,000 range becomes realistic for network engineers at this stage. CCNP pursuit is common here and meaningfully increases offer letters.
Senior Level (6+ Years)
Senior network engineers and infrastructure architects who started their careers with a CCNA routinely earn $110,000–$145,000, especially in finance, healthcare, and large enterprise environments. At this point, CCNA is background context—it's the combination of architecture experience, vendor diversity, and often cloud networking skills that drives compensation.
Which Industries Pay the Most for CCNA-Certified Roles
Industry affects pay more than most salary guides acknowledge. A network administrator at a regional manufacturing company earns less than the same title at a financial services firm or cloud infrastructure provider, even in the same city.
- Financial services and fintech: Highest-paying segment for networking roles; compliance requirements and uptime expectations drive premium compensation. Senior network engineers at banks and trading firms can exceed $140,000.
- Cloud providers and hyperscalers: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and their contractor ecosystems pay competitively. Hybrid cloud roles increasingly require both traditional Cisco knowledge and cloud networking skills.
- Healthcare systems: Growing demand due to network segmentation requirements (HIPAA, medical device security). Mid-level roles run $80,000–$100,000 in most markets.
- Federal government and defense contractors: Salaries are somewhat compressed compared to private sector, but security clearances and stability are meaningful. DoD contractors often require CCNA as a baseline.
- Managed service providers (MSPs): Lower individual salaries ($55,000–$75,000 for most roles) but excellent breadth of exposure across different client environments, which accelerates career development.
- Education and nonprofits: Typically the lowest-paying segment for networking roles, often $15,000–$25,000 below comparable private sector positions.
What Actually Pushes Your CCNA Salary Higher
Beyond getting certified, here are the specific factors that move your compensation up:
Stacking Certifications
CCNA is a foundation, not a ceiling. Adding CCNP (any track—Enterprise, Security, Data Center) is the most direct path to a $15,000–$25,000 salary increase in networking. On the security side, CompTIA Security+ or CISSP combinations are common. Cloud certifications—AWS Solutions Architect or Azure Network Engineer Associate—are increasingly valued as infrastructure moves hybrid.
Specialization Within Networking
Network security engineers consistently out-earn general network administrators by $10,000–$20,000 at equivalent experience levels. BGP expertise, SD-WAN configuration experience, and network automation skills (Python scripting for network management, Ansible for config management) are in high demand and not widely held—making them effective salary levers.
Employer Type and Company Size
Large enterprises (1,000+ employees) and publicly traded companies pay more for networking roles than SMBs. Internal IT teams at large corporations often have formalized pay bands; knowing how to negotiate within those bands matters.
Negotiation
This sounds obvious but is consistently underdone in IT. Candidates with CCNA often under-negotiate because they feel uncertain about their market value. Having competing offers—even one other offer—is the most reliable way to push compensation higher at offer time.
Top Courses for Cisco CCNA Certification
These are the courses worth your time based on content depth, instructor quality, and practical lab coverage. The CCNA 200-301 exam is the current version; avoid courses still structured around older exam objectives.
Cisco CCNA 200-301 – The Complete Guide to Getting Certified
The most comprehensive single course for exam prep—covers all exam domains with structured lectures and solid explanations of concepts that trip up most beginners, particularly subnetting and routing protocol behavior.
Cisco CCNA 200-301 v1.1 Course from Beginner to Expert 2026
Updated for the v1.1 exam objectives, which added more automation and programmability content. If you're starting from zero and want a single resource that tracks current exam requirements, this is it.
Cisco CCNA IPv4 Tutorial: Everything You Need!
IPv4 addressing and subnetting is where most CCNA candidates lose points—this course addresses exactly that gap with focused, no-filler instruction that complements broader study resources well.
Cisco CCNA 200-301 v1.1 900+ Practice Questions to Master
900+ questions mapped to current exam objectives. Practice question volume is one of the strongest predictors of exam pass rate; use this alongside a primary study course rather than as a standalone resource.
Cisco BGP Masterclass – Zero to Hero
BGP isn't heavily tested on CCNA, but it's the protocol that matters most for career advancement into senior networking roles. This course is worth studying once you're certified and targeting network engineer positions.
Cisco CCNA: VLANs, Access-List & NAT + Bonus Material
Focused on three areas—VLANs, ACLs, and NAT—that are heavily tested on the exam and constantly encountered in real network environments. Good for targeted review or filling specific knowledge gaps.
Cisco CCNA Salary FAQ
What is the starting salary for a CCNA-certified professional?
Entry-level roles for new CCNA holders typically range from $52,000 to $70,000. The exact figure depends more on the specific role (help desk vs. junior network admin) and location than on the certification itself. Urban markets and roles with direct client/enterprise network exposure pay toward the higher end of that range.
Does CCNA alone qualify you for a $80,000+ salary?
Rarely without some experience to pair with it. CCNA signals foundational knowledge; $80,000+ offers in networking typically go to candidates with 2–4 years of hands-on experience, some exposure to enterprise environments, and often a second certification. The credential opens doors—the experience and demonstrated skills are what close the offer at higher salary levels.
How does CCNA salary compare to other entry-level IT certifications?
CCNA positions you above CompTIA A+ and Network+ in terms of earning potential. It's roughly comparable to CompTIA Security+ depending on role, and below CCNP or AWS certifications at equivalent experience levels. CCNA is specifically valued for networking-track roles; in generalist IT or security roles, other credentials may be weighted higher.
Is CCNA worth it in 2026 given cloud networking trends?
Yes, with context. On-premises and hybrid infrastructure isn't going away—enterprises with years of Cisco deployments continue to hire for maintenance, upgrades, and security. Cloud networking increasingly involves Cisco products (Meraki, SD-WAN, cloud security). The career path has shifted; pure LAN/WAN administration is less in demand than it was, but network engineers who understand both traditional Cisco and cloud infrastructure are highly employable.
What's the salary difference between CCNA and CCNP?
On average, CCNP-certified professionals earn $20,000–$35,000 more than CCNA-certified professionals at similar experience levels. The gap widens in larger organizations and specialized fields. CCNP is the clearest single certification move for increasing compensation once you're established in a networking role.
How long does it take to go from CCNA to a $100,000 salary?
Most networking professionals who pursue certifications actively and work in environments with real infrastructure exposure reach $90,000–$105,000 within 4–6 years of their CCNA. The timeline compresses significantly in high-cost-of-living markets, with clearances in defense sectors, or for those who add CCNP and cloud certifications within the first few years.
Bottom Line
The Cisco CCNA salary range is real—$65,000 to $105,000 covers the majority of working professionals with this credential. But where you land in that range isn't random. Entry into networking starts around $55,000–$70,000 for most candidates; getting above $90,000 requires pairing the CCNA with genuine hands-on experience and at least one additional credential, whether that's CCNP, a security certification, or cloud networking validation.
If you're preparing for the exam now, prioritize courses that cover the actual 200-301 v1.1 objectives—particularly routing, switching, and the automation sections that carry significant exam weight. The Complete Guide to Getting Certified and the Beginner to Expert 2026 course are both solid starting points. Add a practice question bank once you're through the core material—there's no substitute for exam-format repetition before test day.
The certification won't hand you a six-figure salary immediately. It will, however, make you competitive for networking roles that most IT generalists can't access, and it gives you a defined path—CCNP, specialization, cloud—where each step has a clear salary impact you can plan around.
