Is Hardware & Networking a Good Career? Scope & Salary Insights

Do you want to pursue your career in hardware and networking?  If “Yes” go ahead with your choice.

Living in a world of giant network, hardware and networking promises a stable, rewarding career for those who have graduated with a degree in B.Tech. or Computer Science along with aspiring women who prefer networking jobs.  Being the backbone of the communication sector, its demand will always exist.  In addition to networking, you can also find your alternate golden opportunities in the emerging tech fields such as data science, cybersecurity, AI and cloud computing to have a successful career. 

Why Networking Your Career Option

Before choosing networking as your better career option, you must know why you prefer it as your future career. To start with, networking is a fundamental technical skill every aspiring individual must have. If you have strong networking skills, you can shine as cybersecurity professionals, developers, technical support agents, and DevOps.  

Choosing the right IT networking course will definitely help you to be successful in your career. As an aspirant to pursue networking career, the course you choose may vary from learner to learner that depends mainly on your gained experience and career goals.

Choosing a Networking Course

If you are a beginner, choose certification courses such as CCNA, CompTIA Network+ that can introduce you to networking foundational concepts such as network topology, basic network devices, subnetting, IP addressing, and OSI model.  

If you have started your networking career as a beginner, you must always remember that you cannot become an expert within a short time.  You may need to learn a lot. 

Networking concepts such as OSPF, Ipv6 addressing and router configuration may not be learned in a day.  Initially your focus must be on learning the fundamentals thoroughly.  You need to focus on learning concepts like Basic Ipv4 networking, wireless, subnetting, DNA, DHCP and OSI model.

If you have a few years of experience as a networking professional and want to grow in your career, allocate quality time to update your knowledge on network protocols like BGP, OSPF, VLANs. Become a Cisco CCNA certified professional to show your expertise in network security. 

If you have solid experience in networking and be an expert, it is better to focus on CCNP or CCIE certification courses that will help you up skill and get updated on the networking concepts you are familiar with. It is better to focus on cloud networking, network design, and network security by turning yourself into a certified professional.

Growing demand in networking jobs

The recent scenario in the networking job market has seen a shift with the decreasing need for lower-level positions and a growing demand for specialised roles. Increased use of automation to perform network-related tasks have increased to a larger extent. This has initiated the need for upskilling and training to get an updated knowledge on networking.  

One more happy thing to note is the growing demand for skilled professionals in networking is remaining steady.  For implementing and designing data communication networks computer network personnel are crucial.  According to a recent survey, 28.7 million software developers are there across countries. The expanding technology landscape relies totally on the construction of a strong networking structure. 

Happy to note that the tech industry supports women to become networking professionals allowing gender diversity.  Increased enrolment of women in technology roles in organisations such as Cisco, Airtel, HCL, IBM, Infosys etc. shows the way to grow.  This has led to appointing women professionals in networking positions with a supportive environment ensuring career growth.  

Job demand and market score

In India, as the dependence on digital infrastructure, robust network management, and cloud computing have shown constant increase, the need for networking professionals also increased across various industries.  

If you want to pursue a career as a network engineer, you must know its demands, roles and responsibilities, and the salary trend at present and in future. In addition to knowledge gained from studying theory, it is important to gain practical experience through hands-on assignments.  It is important to keep yourself updated on the new technologies and be ready to learn constantly. This will help you to maintain your expertise.  

The great demand for skilled, experienced network personnel has made it a rewarding career. As we are living in an age of information technology, organizations around the world greatly rely on networks to receive and share digital information. Computerized systems are now common across all types of organisations. So, this has led to the increase in demand for network engineers. 

Career growth and remuneration

Many organizations across the world rely on their networking to be in constant touch both with local and foreign organizations.  It helps them to carry out crucial tasks such as overseeing the networks, implementing and planning.

Network services help to carry out business related functions such as in-house data, voice, video and wireless services. Not only vital for businesses around the world, it has proved to be a well-paying career that has scope for growth. It is better to learn more about their remuneration and the different factors that support its growth.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2023, the average annual wage for computer network architects was $ 129,840.  The need to employ network architects is expected to grow 13%  more from the year 2023 to 2033.

About 12, 300 openings are anticipated every year on average over the last ten years. Along with growth opportunities and competitive salaries professionals in networking can expect to earn an average salary of $112, 000 expecting a growth rate of 5% through 2030. 

Even a small business or an organization is dependent on internet facilities to run their network systems. So organizations who want to avoid losses due to security breaches hire network professionals.   

In India, entry-level network professionals can earn from INR 2 to 4 lac per annum. Network professionals with an experience of one to four years, can earn from INR 2.5  to 5.5 lac per annum. A network engineer with an experience of five to nine years can earn from INR 6.0 to 7.0 lac per annum. 

With a solid experience from ten to nineteen years as a network professional can expect to earn INR 14.5 lac per annum.  The salary of a network professional depends on the location where they work.  Higher pay scale may be expected in Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune when compared to Hyderabad and Chennai.  The salary also depends on the specific duties of the job role. 

With exceptional skills and considerable years of experience, positions such as Chief Information Security Office, Cyber Security Manager, and Security Architect are expected to be the highest paid.  Freshers and professionals with one or two years of experience can be employed as Ethical Hacker, Cyber Security Engineer, and Cyber Security Analyst.

Challenges in networking career

Networking career may be rewarding, yet it has a set of challenges.

Continuous Learning:  The evolving technology needs constant updates on the security measures, networking protocols, and the latest advanced features in the hardware. 

Problem-solving:  To avoid disruptions in the networking services, as a networking professional you must be quick to troubleshoot and find solutions to problems and reduce the downtime. 

Networking is a challenging career for aspirants who are smart to resolve network related problems and troubleshoot for immediate relief. Being a network engineer you must update your knowledge and skills by learning and earning additional certification programs as technology has been evolving faster than ever before.

Alternate emerging career path in networking

For those interested in exploring alternate complementary career paths, the following emerging fields offer promising prospects:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML):  With the expected growth of 22% through 2030, AI engineers also play an important role in healthcare, retail, finance, manufacturing and automobile sectors.  

Cybersecurity: With the growing cyber threats, organisations need cybersecurity experts who can protect networks and systems from cyber attacks and ensure privacy and data integrity. 

Data Science and Analytics:  With your proficiency in programming and statistics data analysis, you can work as data scientists who derive strategic decisions by analyzing complex data sets. 

Cloud Computing: At present as most of the organizations choose cloud-based solutions, your expertise in cloud based services have become valuable. It involves deploying and managing cloud resources efficiently.

Networking staffing trends for 2025

According to Kanani Breckenridge, CEO at Kismet Search, the job profiles of networking professionals have been altered as more companies have started to bring in edge computing, AI and cloud technologies into their routine work. 

In addition, networking professionals may need excellent proficiency in Cloud-based network management, Hybrid networking, Network orchestration technologies, software-defined networking (SDN), software-defined WAN, AI and programming.

Networking which was once a hardware-centered, data focused discipline now demands expertise in a virtualized network environment that is software-driven. They also need competency in handling communication and collaboration tools.

Conclusion

For B.Tech, Computer Science graduates and women, choosing a career in networking can offer a stable and rewarding professional growth.  As this serves as the backbone of the latest communication technology, it will always have a constant demand. 

Though challenges are there in this career that requires continuous learning and upskilling with gender preference and diversity, this career is an evolving one that generates countless opportunities to choose. If you are keen in exploring more opportunities in the technology sector you can choose trending opportunities in cybersecurity, AI, cloud computing and data science.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a networking course good after B.Tech/B.Sc Computer Science?

Yes, it is an excellent choice after B.Tech or B.Sc in Computer Science. Network security, cloud computing, system administration or ethical hacking certification can significantly increase your career prospects. With it you can get recruited as Network Engineer, IT Support Engineer, System Administrator and Cybersecurity Analyst.

Is a networking course good for girls or not?

Yes, networking is a good career choice for girls. Networking and IT are gender-neutral fields where skills and expertise matter the most. Reputed organisations such as Cisco, Microsoft, Infosys, Wipro, and TCS have women-friendly work policies, career growth opportunities, and mentorship programs for female professionals. If you have an interest in security and problem-solving sectors, it is a perfect career choice.   

What is the minimum package after completing a hardware and networking course?

The starting salary after completing a hardware and networking course in India depends on your certifications, skills, organisation and the location where you are employed. Freshers can expect from ₹2.5 to 4 lakh per annum for entry-level positions such as IT Support Engineer or Network Technician. From ₹4 to ₹7 lakh per annum for professionals with certifications like CCNA or CompTIA Network+.  Experienced professionals in cloud computing, network security, and ethical hacking can get ₹8 lakh per annum. With your expertise as Cybersecurity Specialist, Cloud Architect, or Network Engineer in reputed IT organisations can earn from ₹10 to 20 lakh per annum.

What is the future scope of networking in the next 10 years?

The future of networking is highly promising as organisations big or small are increasingly dependent on cloud computing, 5G technology, AI-driven networks, and cybersecurity for efficient functioning. The significant key growth areas in networking over the next decade include cloud networking, cybersecurity and ethical hacking, 5G and IoT networking, AI and Automation in networking.  The future networking is expected to be more software-controlled, thus reducing the dependence on hardware.