How to Become a Network Automation Engineer

Key takeaways

Network automation engineers design, develop, and use automation tools to reconfigure and deploy networks by automating processes. 

• The average network automation engineer's salary is high, with a median total pay of $129,000 [1].

• As a network engineer, your responsibilities may include designing and implementing automation processes, deploying network infrastructures, troubleshooting network automation issues, collaborating with engineering and IT professionals, and more.

• You can become a network engineer by earning a degree, gaining experience through an internship or entry-level position, pursuing certification, and building a professional network.

Learn more about this in-demand role, the salary and career opportunities you can expect, and how to start this career. If you’re ready to start a career in network engineering, consider enrolling in the Akamai Network Engineering Professional Certificate program. In as little as three months, you’ll have the opportunity to build basic SQL commands, develop a working knowledge of security management principles, and learn and implement networking technologies such as TCP/IP and DNS.

What is a network automation engineer?

Network automation uses tools and programming to automate network operations, security, and monitoring, improving efficiency and reliability. A network automation engineer oversees these automation processes.

Network automation engineering is a growing career. This is due to businesses and organizations seeing the benefits of automation technology for enhancing efficiency, speeding up processes, reducing errors, and improving the consistency of performance. The job of a network automation engineer is to design, develop, and use automation tools to reconfigure and deploy networks at scale by automating processes like network security, network mapping, and network testing.

Network automation engineering takes traditional network engineering a step further. A network engineer designs, develops, implements, and maintains computer networks. In contrast, a network automation engineer develops and implements processes to automate tasks using tools such as Ansible, Salt, BackBox, and Python programming. 

What is the salary of a network automation engineer?

As a network automation engineer, your total yearly salary may range from $105,000 for an entry-level engineer with three or fewer years of experience to $146,000 for a professional with 15 or more years of experience [1]. The average total salary for a network automation engineer is $129,000 [1]. These figures include both base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

Key responsibilities: What does a network automation engineer do?

Working as a network automation engineer comes with a range of responsibilities. Your job description will vary depending on where you work, but you can expect your duties to include the following: 

• Design and implement automation processes for all network engineering phases.

• Work with a variety of engineering teams and IT professionals.

• Manage and configure networks using automation technology.

• Deploy network infrastructures using automation tools and programming.

• Troubleshoot automation network issues.

Network automation engineer salary and job outlook

Automation technology is becoming essential for businesses, with network engineering among the areas seeing increased automation. The global network automation market was worth $6.67 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $50.5 billion by 2035, which is a 22.44 percent increase [2]. The average network automation engineer's salary is high, with a median total pay of $129,000 [1]. Network engineer salaries are marginally lower by comparison, with an average total salary of $123,000 [3]. Total pay includes both base salary and additional pay, such as profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

Your salary may depend on several factors, including the company you work for. In this field, you’ll find work in businesses, data centers, and cloud environments across a range of industries. 

How to become a network automation engineer

Working as a network automation engineer means developing a combination of technical and workplace skills, as well as building a strong educational foundation and gaining relevant experience. Follow these steps to make a start in your network automation engineer career. 

Obtain relevant education.

To develop the foundations in network automation, you might consider a combination of academic education, such as a degree, and industry-specific certifications. Traditionally, network engineers have at least a bachelor’s degree in network security, engineering, information technology, computer science, or network engineering. 

You may also be able to access an entry-level position with an associate degree, but generally, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement.

Read more: What Is a Computer Science Degree?

Gain practical experience.

Experience is important in a technical occupation. As technology constantly changes, employers want to know you have the skills and knowledge to match their requirements without investing too much capital in training. 

You might start with a general role in network engineering. Internships and entry-level IT jobs are excellent ways to gain experience, learn to troubleshoot, and expand your knowledge of networking technology. 

Specialize in network automation.

Once you have some network engineering experience, think about specializing in automation. As a starting point, most automation techniques involve understanding software development and terminology, with some requiring programming skills. This is a great place to start.

From here, consider areas where you could implement automation and develop processes for common tasks using your existing networking skills and tools. You could take an online course in automation or AI, such as Cisco’s Network Automation Engineering Fundamentals Specialization, to further boost your resume.

Pursue certifications.

To tailor your qualifications to automation specifically, certifications are a great way to build your skills and prove to employers that you have these competencies. Possible certifications include:

• Cisco CCNP Enterprise certification

• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate

• ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP)

Develop a professional network.

Networking is an excellent way to build relevant connections in your field that might benefit you and your career. You could get introductions to other professionals, find a mentor, learn about a conference or event, or hear about a potential job.

Required skills for a successful network automation engineer

In addition to various technical skills, you’ll need workplace skills to meet the demands of the role, as you also need to work well with others and have excellent problem-solving abilities. 

Technical expertise

Technical skills are essential in this job role. You’ll need to be familiar with networking technologies, tools, software, and hardware, such as:

• Network design and implementation

• Network provisioning 

• Network management

• Network configuration 

• Software development

• Algorithms

• Data structures

• Data models

• Network simulation software

• Cybersecurity 

• Cloud computing

Programming and scripting skills

Programming and scripting are common in automation, so you must understand both well. You’ll use Python to build automation systems to streamline processes and interact with devices. Tools like Ansible and Salt are written using Python. Scripting is a valuable tool for automating network configurations without programming. 

Familiarity with automation frameworks

To work as a network automation engineer, you need to have knowledge and skills in automation frameworks. These are a combination of guidelines, tools, and components, including libraries and APIs, enabling you to create scripts and test cases. Examples include Puppet, Ansible, and Chef.

Workplace skills 

Along with technical skills, you need to develop workplace skills to collaborate with other technology professionals, solve problems, and manage yourself effectively. Consider the following:

• Communication

• Project management 

• Collaboration

• Problem-solving

• Analytical skills

Where does a network automation engineer work?

Network engineers work in a range of businesses. Anywhere with a computer network that requires automation could be an opportunity for a network automation engineer career. Possibilities include:

• Information technology

• Cloud technology

• Software production

• Education 

• Telecommunications

• Health care

• Government departments

• Military

Explore our free network resources

Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat, for industry updates, tips, and trends. Then, explore free resources to optimize your professional growth:

• Watch on YouTube: CCNA vs. Network +: Which Certification Wins?

• Prepare for interviewing: The Python Interview Prep Guide

• Create a skill-building path: Cloud Computing Learning Roadmap: From Beginner to Expert

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses.

Build job-ready skills with Coursera Plus

Start 7-day free trial

• 
• 
• 
• 

Start 7-day free trial