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System, Networking & LAN/WAN

Types of Degrees System, Networking & LAN/WAN Majors Are Earning

Those studying System, Networking & LAN/WAN can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	169
Associate’s Degree	541
Bachelor’s Degree	725
Master’s Degree	396

What System, Networking & LAN/WAN Majors Need to Know

Studies in System, Networking & LAN/WAN develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that System, Networking & LAN/WAN graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing System, Networking & LAN/WAN emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Telecommunications — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a System, Networking & LAN/WAN program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to System, Networking & LAN/WAN careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, System, Networking & LAN/WAN graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by System, Networking & LAN/WAN professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Hewlett Packard HP-UX	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Virtual private networking VPN software	Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software	—
Red Hat Enterprise Linux	Operating system software	—
Nagios	Network monitoring software	—
Microsoft Dynamics	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft SQL Server	Data base user interface and query software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Shell script	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
IBM WebSphere	Cloud-based management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for System, Networking & LAN/WAN graduates include:

• Security Auditor
• Source Code Auditor
• Applications Security Analyst
• Computer Security Information Specialist
• Cybersecurity Engineer
• Blue Team Member
• Incident Response Manager
• Data Security Analyst
• Cyber Intelligence Specialist
• Cybersecurity Specialist
• Cybersecurity Threat Analyst
• Systems Security Analyst
• Threat Hunter
• Information Systems Security Analyst
• Cyber Defense Forensics Analyst

What Can You Do With a System, Networking & LAN/WAN Degree?

Graduates with a degree in System, Networking & LAN/WAN commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Information Security Analysts	12.3%	$111,930	$89,284–$134,576
Computer Network Support Specialists	-3.8%	$107,799	$84,973–$130,625

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to System, Networking & LAN/WAN graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	51.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	17.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	13.7%
Postsecondary certificate	7.6%
Some college courses	6.0%
Master’s degree	3.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in System, Networking & LAN/WAN?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 84.3% of System, Networking & LAN/WAN degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	303	15.7%
Men	1,622	84.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of System, Networking & LAN/WAN graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	958	49.8%
Asian	113	5.9%
Hispanic or Latino	304	15.8%
Black or African American	227	11.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	24	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.3%
Two or More Races	99	5.1%
Race Unknown	122	6.3%
International Students	72	3.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do System, Networking & LAN/WAN Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of System, Networking & LAN/WAN graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$64,248
4 years	$56,780
5 years	$64,307

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,307 — roughly 0% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online System, Networking & LAN/WAN Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for System, Networking & LAN/WAN. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	11	3
Bachelor’s	4	0
Master’s	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in System, Networking & LAN/WAN Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, System, Networking & LAN/WAN graduates earn a median of $56,780 four years after completion — roughly 49% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Computer Science	79,857
Computer and Information Sciences, General	67,926
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	57,935
Information Technology	42,322
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance	38,088
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	13,753
Computer Programming/Programmer, General	11,341
Computer Support Specialist	4,922
Network and System Administration/Administrator	4,755
Computer/Information Technology Services Administration and Management, Other	4,498
Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration	4,139
Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst	3,034

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.