Connecticut·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1231

Best Computer Network Support Specialist programs in Connecticut, ranked by enrollment

Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers, and other data communications networks.

12 schools in Connecticut run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,336 people a year. The job pays a median of $81,890 in Connecticut across about 850 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNetwork SpecialistNetwork TechnicianSystems SpecialistNetwork Technical AnalystCloud EngineerNetwork AnalystSupport EngineerCustomer Engineer
Graduates / yr
1,336
in Connecticut
Median pay · Connecticut
$81,890
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
850
people employed
Schools
12
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
66%
across those schools
Median net price
$27,183
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Connecticut that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

8 programs in Connecticut that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Connecticut (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Connecticut page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1987
73.9%
8$70,374$23,250
2246
18.4%
6$48,185$25,250
349
3.7%
2$43,901$22,822
422
1.6%
1$46,719$20,729
515
1.1%
1$48,185$25,250
614
1.0%
1$51,805$46,000
72
0.1%
1$43,901$22,822
81
0.1%
1$48,185$25,250

Top 12 schools in Connecticut

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 4 of the 12 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Bridgeport
Bridgeport, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
454Computer Science41%$25,14983%
2University of New Haven
West Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
263Computer Science63%$32,61460%
3University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT Public · 1 feeder programs
205Computer Science$79,60583%52%
4Connecticut State Community College
New Britain, CT Public · 6 feeder programs
165Computer Science24%
5Quinnipiac University
Hamden, CT Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
81Computer Science76%$36,13772%
6Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
51Computer Science93%$16,46716%
7Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT Public · 2 feeder programs
34Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$55,13448%73%
8Connecticut College
New London, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
29Computer Science$86,40382%$27,18337%
9Porter & Chester Institute
Bridgeport, CT Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
29Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications$38,61145%$18,216
10United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT Public · 1 feeder programs
17Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance93%22%
11Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
6Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance84%$36,84533%
12University of Saint Joseph
West Hartford, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Computer Science64%$25,84179%

All 12 schools in Connecticut

Every school in Connecticut with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Connecticut that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of BridgeportBridgeportPrivate not-for-profit4541
University of New HavenWest HavenPrivate not-for-profit2632
University of ConnecticutStorrsPublic2051
Connecticut State Community CollegeNew BritainPublic1656
Quinnipiac UniversityHamdenPrivate not-for-profit813
Wesleyan UniversityMiddletownPrivate not-for-profit511
Central Connecticut State UniversityNew BritainPublic342
Connecticut CollegeNew LondonPrivate not-for-profit291
Porter & Chester InstituteBridgeportPrivate for-profit291
United States Coast Guard AcademyNew LondonPublic171
Fairfield UniversityFairfieldPrivate not-for-profit61
University of Saint JosephWest HartfordPrivate not-for-profit21

What computer network support specialists earn in Connecticut

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Connecticut
$81,890
Mean annual
$91,080
Jobs in state
850
What the range looks like
10th pct$60,080Median$81,89090th pct$128,940
Versus the national median
+7.4%

U.S. median $76,220. Connecticut pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
0.53×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Connecticut

Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT
$104,690median
130 jobs
Waterbury-Shelton, CT
$94,230median
50 jobs
New Haven, CT
$88,780median
100 jobs
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT
$77,780median
40 jobs
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
$77,260median
440 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+1.8%
Little or no change
Openings per year
9,600
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
2,800
152,700 → 155,500
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Computer Network Support Specialists page.

How to become a Computer Network Support Specialist

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionActive LearningMonitoringSpeaking

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Connecticut

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 9 majors mapped to Computer Network Support Specialists9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 11.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General
  • 11.0501Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst
  • 11.0701Computer Science
  • 11.0901Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
  • 11.0902Cloud Computing
  • 11.1001Network and System Administration/Administrator
  • 11.1002System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager
  • 11.1003Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
  • 11.1006Computer Support Specialist

Common questions

Answers for people weighing computer network support specialists programs in Connecticut.

What degree do you need to become a Computer Network Support Specialist?+

Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Science, which awarded 987 degrees in Connecticut in 2024-25, 73.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Network Support Specialist?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications, Computer Programming, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 1,336 people a year in Connecticut.

How much do computer network support specialists earn in Connecticut?+

The median is $81,890 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 7.4% above the U.S. median of $76,220. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for computer network support specialists growing?+

BLS projects a +1.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 9,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Connecticut?+

12 institutions in Connecticut reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do computer network support specialists work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Network Specialist, Network Technician, Systems Specialist, Network Technical Analyst among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1231.

Computer Network Support Specialists in other statesCaliforniaTexasUtahNew YorkIllinoisFloridaMarylandIndiana

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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