CCNA Jobs: What Are the Job Roles Available After Completing CCNA Certification?

Key takeaways

CCNA jobs offer a broad range of roles in IT, including technical support, network engineering, cloud engineering, and cybersecurity positions.

• The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification remains in demand, as Cisco leads the global infrastructure market, and 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on its products [1].

• The CCNA certification validates your expertise in working with networking fundamentals, including network configuration, routing, identifying security threats, and implementing new technologies like automation and AI within networks.

• You can use the CCNA to prepare you to enter the field or to earn advanced certifications like the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) credential.

Learn more about CCNA jobs, including potential career paths, CCNA job salary details, whether these roles are in demand, and what you can do next. If you want to begin gaining practical experience, you might also consider enrolling in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. This beginner-friendly, six-course series offers opportunities to build your skills in areas such as wireless networking, end-to-end customer support, and using systems like the command-line interface and binary code. Within three to six months, you can earn a career credential to boost your resume and professional profile.

What jobs can you get with the CCNA certification? 6 roles to consider

Many professionals begin in entry-level or junior-level roles before progressing into higher-paying positions. However, earning the CCNA certification may also help you gain entry to a range of roles, including those that focus on infrastructure and jobs with a focus on cybersecurity. Skills gaps continue to demand qualified IT professionals. The CCNA certification demonstrates your expertise and can help you along your chosen career path.

Although Cisco has no experience requirements for this certification, it can be helpful to gain professional experience in entry-level roles like computer systems analyst, help desk technician, or network administrator. Explore some of the options you might pursue in IT infrastructure and cybersecurity after getting certified in more detail.

IT infrastructure roles

Working in an IT infrastructure-related role often involves everything within an IT environment, including software, hardware, data storage systems, operating systems, and connected services. Ongoing digital transformation efforts, which include implementing cloud technology, AI, and automation, require professionals with robust knowledge and skills in working with IT infrastructure. The CCNA certification can help increase your competitiveness in the job market and smooth your entry into the field, which has a faster-than-average job outlook of 12 percent through 2034 [2]. Three potential roles to consider include the following:

Technical support engineer

Median total pay: $107,000 [3]

Requirements: Multiple paths to entry, with bachelor’s degrees common

As a technical support engineer, you’ll provide assistance to users having challenges with devices, including computer hardware and software. You might answer calls, provide online support, deliver instructions via email, or provide help in person.

Network engineer

Median total pay: $123,000 [4]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, or related; certifications often preferred

In this position, you’ll focus primarily on designing and maintaining equipment and networks, including both physical and wireless networks and components. Tasks often involve looking for ways to optimize connectivity between phones, intranets, extranets, and computers, in addition to implementing technologies for automating specific tasks and integrating new technologies into existing systems.

Cloud network engineer

Median total pay: $148,000 [5]

Requirements: Flexible paths to entry, including certificate programs, certifications, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees

When you work in this position, you'll typically design, build, plan, and implement cloud-based infrastructure. You may also work on securing data, managing cloud-based resources, monitoring system performance, and troubleshooting issues. You will also work with others in the IT department while ensuring your organization complies with relevant security standards.

Is CCNA a good career path, and what is the average CCNA job salary? 

Earning the CCNA credential can help you establish your expertise in several in-demand areas, including integrating AI, automation, and cloud networking into modern businesses. It can help you enter the field, as it remains a highly sought-after credential, and provides a stepping stone for your IT career path. You can continue along the path to earn advanced credentials and seek more senior-level roles. Although salaries vary widely depending on the position you seek, the average salary for a CCNA is $107,000 per year [6].

Read more: How to Get Into Cloud Computing: 7 Steps to Success

Cybersecurity roles

Although CCNA itself focuses primarily on computer networks, with security as one aspect, having this expertise can help you understand vulnerabilities and provide an excellent foundation for further learning. For cybersecurity-focused roles, you might consider additional certifications, such as the Cisco Cybersecurity Associate, Certified Information Systems Administrator, or CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+). Three examples of careers in information security, a field with a job outlook of 29 percent, include the following [7]:

IT security specialist

Median total pay: $159,000 [8]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree typical; familiarity with IT security frameworks and programming languages like C++

In this position, you primarily work to protect digital assets and safeguard data. You may create security measures, implement them, and train other team members to ensure consistent data protection measures. 

Network security engineer

Median total pay: $165,000 [9]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree at a minimum; master’s often required for leadership positions

In this role, you typically develop and implement security systems and identify network vulnerabilities. You’ll also likely test various systems to assess their security, update and monitor compliance with security protocols, and implement identity and access management measures.

Cybersecurity analyst

Median total pay: $129,000 [10]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in fields like computer science or cybersecurity 

As a cybersecurity analyst, you'll work to monitor systems for suspicious activity and research cybersecurity trends and emerging threats. You’ll also play a part in maintaining, recommending, and implementing security measures. 

The salary information above is the median total pay from Glassdoor as of April 9. These figures include both base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

How CCNA connects to real-world networking roles

It helps to think of the CCNA certification as a foundation you can build a solid information technology-related career on. Given the frequent shifts and advancements in the field, having a widely respected credential like the CCNA can help you enter networking roles and advance along your professional journey. Earning it demonstrates your expertise in key areas, including the following:

• Network infrastructure and configuration

• Internet Protocol (IP) routing and protocols

• The effects of automation on networking

• The understanding, identification, and mitigation of security threats

CCNA can help you prepare for many potential IT roles, including technical support engineer, network engineer, and cloud engineer. Moreover, it highlights your familiarity and ability to work with Cisco technologies, a significant advantage given Cisco’s market-leading position. With a 22 percent market share, Cisco leads the top enterprise networking companies worldwide, increasing the likelihood that employers will value Cisco-aligned skills and abilities [11]. 

Is the CCNA certification enough to enter the field?

Every employer is unique, and advanced roles often require a degree in addition to certification. However, employers are increasingly embracing skills-based hiring, which can offset gaps in experience or formal education in some instances. Additionally, many employers value CCNA credentials and the practical experience and expertise that come along with earning the certification. 

Are networking roles in demand? 

Given the growth of the networking market itself, you can infer that networking jobs will also remain in demand. Data suggests that the enterprise networking market will continue exhibiting solid growth, reaching an estimated $287.32 billion in 2034, up from $128.2 billion in 2025 [11].

That continued growth will likely be driven by several factors, including the following:

• Increased need for scalable, reliable networking infrastructure due to the rapid adoption of cloud technologies and applications, and the acceleration of global digital transformation

• Increasingly complex challenges in integrating modern network environments with legacy systems and designing, implementing, and maintaining networks with minimal disruptions

• Increased pressure to comply with regulations and provide robust security to combat the escalation in cybersecurity threats and incidents

Why CCNA signals job readiness for entry-level networking roles

Validating your skill set with a global industry leader positions you for a diverse career, with skills applicable to the digital era, which is marked by nearly constant change. Additionally, the credential signals your readiness to contribute to a company’s daily operations and technological future. Training for the certification includes practical experience that can help prepare you to enter networking roles. 

The CCNA certification can help you remain up-to-date on the latest trends in the industry. Cisco has partnered with global enterprises for more than 40 years, and 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on Cisco networking and infrastructure products. It remains a valued partner for organizations adopting AI and received more than $2 billion in orders for AI-enabled infrastructure in 2025 [1]. As such, having expertise in working with Cisco-related products can make you more competitive in the market. 

Industries that commonly hire CCNA professionals

The CCNA certification prepares you for IT roles. Those roles, however, could come from companies across a broad range of industries, including: 

• Computer systems and design

• Business enterprises and organizations

• Telecommunications

• Education

• Health care

• State government

• Software companies

• Accounting, bookkeeping, tax preparation

• Scientific research and development

Are CCNA jobs in demand? 

CCNA credentials can help provide entry to various roles, including those of a computer network architect and information security analyst. These roles have projected job outlooks of 12 percent and 29 percent, respectively, indicating above-average job growth [2, 7].

Additionally, the cybersecurity skills gap further drives demand for CCNA professionals because these credentials demonstrate your expertise in networking and threat identification. With the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), data privacy and cybersecurity are taking center stage not just for organizations but also for the public, while also presenting new vulnerabilities. Even as AI tools potentially step in to help address the talent shortage, qualified professionals remain in demand.

Beyond CCNA: The next step

Cisco considers CCNA as a foundational certification, excellent for establishing your early expertise with fundamental competencies, including troubleshooting, configuring, and securing enterprise networks. As you gain expertise in your entry-level roles, you can begin pursuing specialized or advanced certifications and progress in your career as a result. 

Advanced Cisco certifications and specialization options

You could take your career in a cybersecurity direction with additional Cisco credentials, such as the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity, which covers the basics of assessing vulnerabilities and prepares you for advanced cybersecurity certifications like the Cisco Certified Cybersecurity Associate and the Cisco Certified Cybersecurity Professional. Alternatively, you can build upon your CCNA with the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP). This is a mid-level certification that focuses on advanced solutions and secure design as part of securing the complex networks of enterprises. It's ideal if you want to pursue advanced roles like network automation engineer or systems engineer. The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert is the most advanced credential, ideal if you want to become an engineering manager or a security architect.

Explore our free IT and cybersecurity resources

Subscribe to Career Chat, our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, for ongoing industry tips and information about emerging trends. Also, consider checking out our other career resources:

• Find your career path: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz? 

• Hear from other learners: Meet the IT Support Tech Advancing Toward a Cybersecurity Career

• Bookmark for later: Cybersecurity Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions

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