Cisco Certification Salary Explained: Get Paid in Six-Digit Figures

IT Professionals listen up! Just as the technology world is changing drastically, so is the need for skilled professionals. Moreover, the skill gap is getting greater across the IT industry and professionals are seeking an advantage any way they get them.

Certification provides the edge and makes a huge difference in salaries. That’s the reason every other professional is seeking certifications and better opportunities. If you’re stuck at one job title with no salary hike, then it is time to buckle up and look for other opportunities. 

Out of many certifications, Cisco certifications and skills are considered one of the most valuable in the dynamic IT world. 16% of all IT professionals have at least one Cisco certification, making it number fourth most popular certification globally. We know you’re reading this blog for one thing, how much you can earn having Cisco certification. Let’s dig straight into the salary of Cisco certifications without further ado. 

Cisco Certifications

Cisco certifications are for networking professionals who want to excel in their careers and want a significant salary increase. Cisco provides certifications at different levels leading to different career paths. These certifications are categorized into:

  • Entry Level
  • Associate Level 
  • Professional Level 
  • Expert Level

Cisco Certification Salaries: Earn Million Dollars with Right Certification

Though Cisco provides certifications in a wide range of domains with better salaries, we cannot ignore the fact that salary hike is dependent on other factors as well. First, we will look at the salaries by level.

Entry Level Cisco Certification Salary

This level consists of CCST certification. You can opt for various job roles such as technicians, help-desk officers, and technical assistants. Individuals with Cisco entry-level certification can earn up to $47k- $89k with an average salary of $68,899.

Salaries by Certification

This level consists of CCST certification. You can opt for various job roles such as technicians, help-desk officers, and technical assistants. Individuals with Cisco entry-level certification can earn up to $47k- $89k with an average salary of $68,899.

Salaries by Certification

Entry-Level Salary
Certified Control Systems Technician $69,234

Salaries by Job Titles

Job Titles Salary
Automation Technician $69,234
Instrument and Electrical Technician $81,859
Automation Engineer $71,772
Instrument Engineer $50,000
Controls Systems Engineer $121,000
Low Voltage Electrician $87,000

Associate Level Cisco Certification Salary

The associate level consists of CCNA – Cisco Certified Network Associate certification and others such as CyberOps and DevNet. By earning the associate-level certification you can earn a salary with a range of $74k- $165k. The average salary of CCNA certified is $86,000.

Salaries by Certification

Associate Level Salary
Cisco Certified Network Associate - CCNA $86,000
CyberOps Associate $67,027
DevNet Associate $99,000

Salaries by Top Job Roles

Job Titles Salary
Network Engineer $81,274
Sr. Network Engineer $111,738
Network Administrator $66,853
IT Manager $91,071
Systems Administrator $68,530
System Engineer $78,350
Security Engineer $96,819
Cyber Security Analyst $82,397
Cisco Developer $129,846

Professional Level Cisco Certification Salary

The individual with Cisco Certified Network Professional certification can have an average salary of $103k. You can get a CCNP certification in different specializations, including routing, switching, and security.

Salaries by Certifications

Associate Level Salary
Cisco Certified Network Professional $120,000
CyberOps Professional $101,712
DevNet Professional $129,846

Salaries by Job Titles

Job Titles Salary
Sr. Network Engineer $116,016
Network Architect $89,817
Information Technology Director $123,305
Network Security Engineer $99,818
Information Technology Manager $103,334
Solution Architect $117,162
Network Manager $116,930
Network Manager $116,930
Lead Network Engineer $122,374
Senior Solutions Architect $152,634
Senior Systems Engineer $114,179

Expert Level Cisco Certification Salary

This level is the highest level of Cisco certification and makes you earn up to an average of $151,029. These certifications build in-demand skills and whether you’re opting for data center, security, storage, routing, and switching professionals you can leverage these in-demand skills toward higher salaries.

Salaries by Certification

Expert Level Salary
CCIE $172,155
CCDE $114,000
DevNet Expert $130,237

Salaries by Job Titles

Job Titles Salary
Sr. Network Engineer $131,726
Network Engineer $117,272
Network Architect $146,042
Solutions Architect $151,039
Lead Network Engineer $121,791
Systems Architect $159,574
Quality Assurance Engineer $103,799
Technical Marketing Engineer $204,536
Solutions Engineer $110,500
Senior Solutions Architect $160,379

Other Factors that Influence Cisco Certification Salary

You have seen the salaries based on certification level and top job titles, some other factors might help you in achieving higher salaries. 

Experience: Candidates with greater experience tend to have higher salaries compared to those with less experience. If we look at the statistics, candidates with entry-level experience earn an average salary of $63,000. If you have some experience, it may go up to $85,000. Moreover, candidates with 5-10 years of experience can earn an average salary of 102,000. If your experience exceeds 10 years, you might gain an average salary of $150,000.

Top Employers: The company in which you’re working also defines and influences your salary. The companies that pay higher salaries for Cisco professionals are:

Popular Companies Salary
Cisco Systems Inc $98,606
Verisk Analytics $111,000
Booz, Allen, and Hamilton $112,794
Amazon.com Inc $124,774
AT&T Inc. $120,000
Presidio $107,138
Palo Alto Networks $124,775
Verizon Communications, Inc $110,000
Juniper Networks, Inc $135,000

Gender: The world is changing and there is not much discrepancy in men’s and women’s salaries. Let’s review the salaries by gender breakdown for Cisco-certified professionals.

Certifications Male Female
CCNA $54K- $133K $53K - $129K
CCNP $69K - $145K $67K - $149K
CCIE $91K- $173K $95K - $151K

Demanding Certifications: Though all Cisco certifications provide lucrative career options, some are most demanding and widely opted for and increase your salary to a new level. These top certifications are considered the most opted and trending Cisco certifications:

Most-Highest Paying Certification Salary
CCDA: Cisco Certified Design Associate $114,000
CCNP Routing and Switching $114,227
CCNA Routing and Switching $101,441
CCNA Security $104,801
CCENT: Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician $92,057

FAQ’s

Why does anyone think it is not? The Cisco certifications are widely taken and industry-recognized certifications across the globe. Whether you’re starting your career or want to gain momentum in salary, these certifications are the easiest gateway for a wide range of job opportunities with higher salaries. Not only this, these certifications build the latest and in-demand skills, giving you an edge to flourish and showcase them. Having a Cisco certification in hand, you can lead and set a benchmark for others.

As of the current year, the average annual pay for an Entry Level CCNA in the United States is $48,918 a year.

All Cisco certifications are valid for three years. They expire after three years from the day they are achieved. However, the only exception is CCST which doesn’t have any expiration date and is valid for a lifetime.

Definitely! Having CCNA on a resume not only shows how capable you’re but also uplifts career opportunities. Employers prefer candidates who have CCNA certification. This certification shows commitment, advanced skills, and the latest knowledge in the field of networking.

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