Maine·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1231

Best Computer Network Support Specialist programs in Maine, 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.

16 schools in Maine run programs that feed this job, graduating 353 people a year. The job pays a median of $72,990 in Maine across about 680 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNetwork SpecialistNetwork TechnicianSystems SpecialistNetwork Technical AnalystCloud EngineerNetwork AnalystSupport EngineerCustomer Engineer
Graduates / yr
353
in Maine
Median pay · Maine
$72,990
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
680
people employed
Schools
16
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
52%
across those schools
Median net price
$18,192
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Maine that lead to this job

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

5 programs in Maine that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Maine (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 Maine page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 11.0701In Maine
187
53.0%
8$70,374$23,250
2
CIP 11.1003In Maine
96
27.2%
6$48,185$25,250
3
CIP 11.1001In Maine
53
15.0%
6$48,185$25,250
4
CIP 11.0201In Maine
14
4.0%
2$46,719$20,729
5
CIP 11.0901In Maine
3
0.8%
1$43,901$22,822

Top 16 schools in Maine

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 4 of the 16 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 Maine
Orono, ME Public · 1 feeder programs
62Computer Science$77,04655%97%
2Southern Maine Community College
South Portland, ME Public · 3 feeder programs
56Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$41,81328%
3Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
42Computer Science95%$15,4547%
4University of Maine at Augusta
Augusta, ME Public · 1 feeder programs
38Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance27%
5Colby College
Waterville, ME Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
34Computer Science89%$15,6967%
6Central Maine Community College
Auburn, ME Public · 2 feeder programs
22Network and System Administration/Administrator$31,11430%
7Northeast Technical Institute
Scarborough, ME Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
21Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance90%$34,910
8Eastern Maine Community College
Bangor, ME Public · 2 feeder programs
20Network and System Administration/Administrator32%
9University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME Public · 1 feeder programs
19Computer Science$67,95640%79%
10Thomas College
Waterville, ME Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
10Computer Science54%$18,19296%
11York County Community College
Wells, ME Public · 2 feeder programs
9Network and System Administration/Administrator34%
12Husson University
Bangor, ME Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
6Computer Programming/Programmer, General59%$18,83981%
13Northern Maine Community College
Presque Isle, ME Public · 1 feeder programs
6Network and System Administration/Administrator42%
14University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, ME Public · 1 feeder programs
3Computer Science52%97%
15Washington County Community College
Calais, ME Public · 1 feeder programs
3Network and System Administration/Administrator55%
16University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, ME Public · 1 feeder programs
2Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance52%100%

All 16 schools in Maine

Every school in Maine 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 Maine that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of MaineOronoPublic621
Southern Maine Community CollegeSouth PortlandPublic563
Bowdoin CollegeBrunswickPrivate not-for-profit421
University of Maine at AugustaAugustaPublic381
Colby CollegeWatervillePrivate not-for-profit341
Central Maine Community CollegeAuburnPublic222
Northeast Technical InstituteScarboroughPrivate for-profit212
Eastern Maine Community CollegeBangorPublic202
University of Southern MainePortlandPublic191
Thomas CollegeWatervillePrivate not-for-profit102
York County Community CollegeWellsPublic92
Husson UniversityBangorPrivate not-for-profit61
Northern Maine Community CollegePresque IslePublic61
University of Maine at FarmingtonFarmingtonPublic31
Washington County Community CollegeCalaisPublic31

What computer network support specialists earn in Maine

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

Median annual in Maine
$72,990
Mean annual
$69,460
Jobs in state
680
What the range looks like
10th pct$44,930Median$72,99090th pct$89,610
Versus the national median
-4.2%

U.S. median $76,220. Maine pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.14×

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

Metro areas in Maine

Portland-South Portland, ME
$80,590median
Lewiston-Auburn, ME
$75,470median
30 jobs
Bangor, ME
$59,460median
90 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 Maine

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 Maine.

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 187 degrees in Maine in 2024-25, 53.0% 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 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, Computer Programming, Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications. Together they graduate about 353 people a year in Maine.

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

The median is $72,990 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 4.2% below 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 Maine?+

16 institutions in Maine reported graduates from at least one of the 5 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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