System, Networking & LAN/WAN

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

The following table lists how many system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	827
Associate Degree	546
Basic Certificate	483
Undergraduate Certificate	170
Master’s Degree	27
Graduate Certificate	24

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

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager Majors

System, Networking, and Lan/Wan Management/Manager majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager Majors

A major in system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager Majors

As a system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

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

Below is a list of occupations associated with system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Computer Network Support Specialists	8.2%	$62,770
Information Security Analysts	28.5%	$98,350

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in System, Networking & LAN/WAN?

This major attracts more men than women. About 92% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	44
Black or African American	68
Hispanic or Latino	120
White	508
International Students	3
Other Races/Ethnicities	84

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager. About 0.4% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do System, Networking & LAN/WAN Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

System, Networking, and Lan/Wan Management/Manager majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $68,050 to $102,470 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to System, Networking & LAN/WAN

Some degrees associated with system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	9.1%
Some College Courses	9.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	18.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	50.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	10.4%
Master’s Degree	1.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.9%

Online System, Networking & LAN/WAN Programs

In 2020-2021, 115 schools offered a system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	43	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	0
Associate’s Degree	55	6
Bachelor’s Degree	3	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	4	2
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

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

The median salary for a system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager grad is $68,050 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 71% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $563,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to System, Networking & LAN/WAN

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to system, networking, and lan/wan management/manager.

Major	Number of Grads
Computer & IS Security	22,829
Network & System Administration/Administrator	5,501
Information Technology Management	4,009
Computer Support Specialist	3,176
Information Technology Project Management	2,076
Web/Multimedia Management & Webmaster	887

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Craig Dennis under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.