CCNA or Cisco Certified Network Associate is a company that provides different certificates. CCNA includes basic skills such as IP connectivity, network access, IP services, and security basics. The entry-level CCNA salary is $35,000, while it can grow to $120,000 with growing experience and advanced skills. You need to register using the official Cisco website to apply for the CCNA exam. The exam is 120 minutes long. Certification will be given after a few weeks of passing the exam.
- CCNA is a certification course provided by Cisco.
- The exam is 120 minutes in duration.
- The exam and course are available in two languages as of now: English and Japanese.
- The starting CCNA salary of a no-experience employee with CCNA certification is $35,000.
- Salary varies according to your location and company size.
- CCNA certification is recognized as a reputable certificate that shows employers your skills and knowledge in the IT sector.
Confused about choosing CCNA as your profession? Curious to know about CCNA salary based on your experience and certifications? Don’t worry! In this guide, I will not only provide an overview but also share the latest stats and tips to help you get the best salary.
CCNA is Cisco’s associate-level network certification. It is an entry-level IT certification course by Cisco that proves skills in basic computer networking, switching, routing, and network security. What most young professionals want to know are the three main questions:
- What is the salary of a CCNA-certified network engineer?
- What is the entry-level CCNA salary for a fresher?
- Is this Cisco certification still worth it in 2026?
The pay varies depending on your location, experience, skills, and more. Mentioning an exact salary is hard to tell, as companies offer different salaries. Want to know everything about CCNA certification? Here, I have added salaries based on roles and responsibilities. Keep Reading.
What is CCNA Certification?
Let’s understand CCNA certification first before jumping to the salary. It is a certification test in network fundamentals, IP services, network access, automation, and IP services. It adds value to a resume as certification by Cisco is preferred by many employers. The certification shows that you have core knowledge about networking, infrastructure, and support jobs.
- Passing the CCNA exam will provide you with a certificate.
- It is a 120-minute exam.
- The exam is available in English and Japanese.
- The base price of the certification is $US300. You can get a discounted price by applying Cisco Learning Credits.
CCNA Salary in 2026
Without any buffering, let’s get to the CCNA salary. The average salary ranges between $70,000 and $ 95,000. Different websites report different salaries. ZipRecruiter has set the avg. salary to be $82,062/year, while PayScale lists a higher value at $ 95,000/year. The salary ranges based on your experience level. Let’s understand, based on different levels of experience. I have divided the section based on the level.
Entry Level: In this section, people with zero to three years of experience come. The job roles start with the foundational roles and responsibilities. The average salary for this section is estimated at $ 50,000 per year. Some data shows a slightly lower salary at $ 48,000 with a common range between $35,000-$52,000. This group includes job titles such as Help Desk Engineer, Junior Network Administrator, and Network Technician.
Mid Level: This group has a medium level of experience ranging from four to nine years. These are mainly employees with several years of practical experience. These professionals can expect a salary hike of around 40% to $70,000/year.
Senior Level: Employees with more than a decade of experience come under this category. In this phase, the years of experience range from more than a decade to less than two decades. They usually earn somewhere between $90,000-$100,000 per year depending on the market segments.
Late Career: This category has the most experienced employees with more than 20 years of experience in the same field, i.e., Networking, IP services, and more. The typical salary for this group is above $110,000/year.
What is the Entry-Level CCNA Salary?
A fresher with CCNA certification and no experience usually gets a salary starting at $35,000 per year. The exact amount of the salary depends on the city, size of the company, and additional skills and knowledge level. Larger companies with the need for high-tech employees tend to offer higher salaries than smaller firms or startups. Some of the common roles at the entry level include:
- NOC Engineer: The role of this position is to monitor and handle networks and alert beforehand.
- Network Support Engineer: These engineers solve daily problems that affect connectivity.
- Junior Network Administrator: Employees with this job role generally manage basic switch and router tasks.
CCNA Salary Based on Job Roles
Using the CCNA certificate, people can get different job opportunities. Some of the job roles that you can choose after passing the CCNA exam are: Network Technician, Network Administrator, NOC Engineer, Network Engineer, and System Engineer. Let’s know more about the roles and responsibilities of these jobs along with their salary.
Network Technician: Salary ranges between $53,000 and $60,000
These professionals handle the basic and physical logical side of the network. Day-to-day work includes connecting devices, cable testing, router configuration, switch checking, assigning IP addresses, and verifying connectivity. This role is often handed to the entry-level employee with little or no experience.
Network Administrator: Salary ranges between $70,000-$85,000
Some of the common tasks of a network administrator include troubleshooting user connectivity problems, trunk links, DHCP, basic OSPF, access control lists, and VLAN maintenance.
Network Engineer: Salary generally lies between $87,000-$115,000
Their main duty is to design, build, and optimize network infrastructure. These engineers use CCNA routing and switching knowledge, document designs, support larger projects, and troubleshoot multi-network issues.
System Engineer: Salary ranges between $75,000-$95,000
These engineers mix networking knowledge with application and server support. They keep their eyes on correct and direct communication across different networks. The main job role of system engineers is to work with VLANs and subnets. This role requires more infrastructure understanding.
NOC Engineer: Salary ranges between $55,000-$60,000
The full form of NOC is network operation center. Its full form already mentions the role of the job position. These engineers monitor the health of the network. They respond to escalated issues, provide basic documentation, alerts, and troubleshooting.
CCNA Exam Registration Process
Are you ready to take the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam? Here are the simple steps that you should follow to register for the exam.
- Go to the official Cisco site or simply use this web link: https://www.cisco.com/
- Select the ‘Learn’ tab.
- Click on ‘Training and Certifications’ on the left.
- Then click on ‘Schedule an exam’.
- Log In Page will appear: if you are already registered, log in using your Email and password. If not, click on Sign Up,
- For a new user, fill in the details (Password, Name, and Email), then click on Register.
- Search for the code: CCNA 200-301 exam
- Choose the testing center or the online option (depending on your preference).
- Pay the exam fees using a credit or debit card.
Once you have completed the test, you can collect your certificate upon passing within a short period of time.
How to Track Cisco Certification?
Tracking your Cisco certification is simple.
- First, log in using the same Email address and Password that you created.
- Go to the certification section.
- Tap on the Active certification tab.
- Check your exam history, pass dates, and expiration information.
- Fifth step: choose the validation period. Select three years.
- Click on Download and store it in PDF format.
- Upon completion, renew for a new certification for a higher-level Cisco exam.
The record helps employers verify your status during the hiring process and prevent any notable gaps in your profile.
Wrapping Up
With a starting salary of $35,000 per year, CCNA certification provides a special space for the beginner to start earning money. The highest salary can go up to more than $120,000 per year. However, the exact salary of any job position or role depends on several factors. Some of the factors include place, location, company size and focus, experience level, and additional skills. Here, we have discussed everything related to the process of registering, the exam, the CCNA salary package, and how to get the certification.
Want to know more about the certification course? Stay tuned to our website to learn many more such facts and information.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the entry-level CCNA salary?
The salary starts at USD 35,000 to 50,000 per year. The price differentiation is because of the place, company, skills, and other external factors.
How to register for the CCNA exam?
Follow these simple steps: ->Visit the official website of Cisco. ->Click on schedule an exam. ->Select CCNA with code (200-301). ->Pay the examination fees.
What is the CCNA examination fee?
The base examination fees for the CCNA exam are $ 300 USD, but it can be discounted using the learning credits.
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