1. What is a Network Operations Center Engineer？

The Network Operations Center is a centralized location for networks that is maintained and monitored 24/7 by an IT team. Network Operations Engineers are experts in troubleshooting large computer networks,servers who work in network operations centers and are responsible for troubleshooting, network monitoring, and problem solving.

2. What does a Network Operations Center Engineer do?

As a Network Operations Center(NOC) Engineer, you need to provide necessary technical support by continuously checking and maintaining servers. Your main responsibilities are as follows:

First, use a variety of network monitoring tools to detect whether the performance of the computer network system is stable, find existing and potential network failures and take solutions.

Secondly, in the process of troubleshooting and solving problems in the network system, it is necessary to coordinate and cooperate with colleagues, customers and third-party technology providers to jointly ensure the resolution of network problems.

Furthermore, it is necessary to monitor and control all problems that arise, establish and save a database of historical problems, carefully track and record all defects and solutions in detail, so as to solve problems faster and continue software development

Finally, network operations engineers need to use their in-depth understanding of information technology, including understanding of malware and security issues, to manage backbone networks and their interconnectivity.

3. Career Insights: Salary, Outlook & Related Roles

(1) Network Operations Center Engineer Salary

According to data from some reliable online recruitment websites, the annual salary of network operations engineers ranges from $67,043 to $115,020. According to data from the payscale website on March 25, 2025, the average base salary for network operations center (NOC) engineers is $69,417, with bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, and profit sharing ranging from $47,000 to $17,000.

(2) Job Outlook of Network Operations Center Engineer

Job demand for network operations center engineers is expected to grow 4% from 2022 to 2032, slightly faster than the average for all jobs in the U.S., with the potential for 10,200 new jobs added each year during that period, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

(3) Similar Occupations

• Network Support Engineer
• Network Engineer / Network Administrator
• Systems Administrator / IT Operations Engineer
• Incident Response Analyst / IT Helpdesk Tier 2/3
• Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)
• Telecommunication Engineer
• Cloud Operations Engineer / Cloud NOC Engineer

4. What Are the Qualifications to Become a Network Operations Center Engineer?

(1) Obtain a Bachelor's Degree

The majority of positions require candidates to have a Bachelor's Degree or higher. A reputable university will give you an edge in the job market. Network operations engineer positions typically require a bachelor's degree in a field such as network operations, computer and information technology, or engineering. These degrees provide the necessary foundation of expertise for the position.

(2) Develop professional skills

As a network operations engineer, first of all, you need to have a solid network foundation and rich operation and maintenance practical experience, and be able to efficiently monitor, maintain and optimize the network environment of enterprises or service providers. Secondly, you must be familiar with core network technologies such as TCP/IP protocol stack, VLAN, STP, BGP, OSPF, A+、CCNA、VMWare,and be able to independently complete the configuration and troubleshooting of switches, routers, firewalls and other equipment. Furthermore, you must be proficient in using network monitoring tools (such as Zabbix, Nagios, SolarWinds) to achieve real-time monitoring and alarm processing of network operation status. Finally, you must have certain automation capabilities and be able to use Python and Shell scripts to complete operation and maintenance task automation and log analysis. Familiar with common network security mechanisms, such as ACL, VPN, and firewall policy configuration, and have strong emergency response and problem location capabilities.

(3) Earn Industry Certifications

When applying for infrastructure engineer positions, it is helpful to obtain certain certifications as they can help you develop the key skills and knowledge required for the position and make your resume more noticeable to employers.Earning a recognized certification in the IT field helps employers recognize you as a qualified candidate.
CCNP Service Provider validate your expertise in implementing core service provider network technologies, including architecture, services, networking, automation, and more. Earning the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Service Provider certification can help you advance your career path as a network operations engineer.