New Mexico·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1231

Best Computer Network Support Specialist programs in New Mexico, 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.

11 schools in New Mexico run programs that feed this job, graduating 324 people a year. The job pays a median of $64,550 in New Mexico across about 1,300 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNetwork SpecialistNetwork TechnicianSystems SpecialistNetwork Technical AnalystCloud EngineerNetwork AnalystSupport EngineerCustomer Engineer
Graduates / yr
324
in New Mexico
Median pay · New Mexico
$64,550
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,300
people employed
Schools
11
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
33%
across those schools
Median net price
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in New Mexico that lead to this job

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

7 programs in New Mexico that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in New Mexico (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 New Mexico page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1121
37.3%
7$48,185$25,250
2101
31.2%
3$70,374$23,250
346
14.2%
2$48,185$25,250
425
7.7%
4$46,719$20,729
520
6.2%
1$43,901$22,822
66
1.9%
1$48,185$25,250
75
1.5%
2$48,185$25,250

Top 11 schools in New Mexico

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 0 of the 11 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, NM Public · 5 feeder programs
111Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance31%
2University of New Mexico - Main Campus
Albuquerque, NM Public · 1 feeder programs
47Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance55%95%
3New Mexico State University - Dona Ana
Las Cruces, NM Public · 4 feeder programs
44Network and System Administration/Administrator19%
4New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM Public · 1 feeder programs
42Computer Science57%44%
5New Mexico State University - Main Campus
Las Cruces, NM Public · 2 feeder programs
32Computer Science55%89%
6San Juan College
Farmington, NM Public · 1 feeder programs
20Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications37%
7Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College
Ruidoso, NM Public · 1 feeder programs
14Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance29%
8Santa Fe Community College
Santa Fe, NM Public · 2 feeder programs
8Computer Programming/Programmer, General23%
9Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Albuquerque, NM Public · 1 feeder programs
3System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager14%
10New Mexico State University - Alamogordo
Alamogordo, NM Public · 1 feeder programs
2Computer Programming/Programmer, General14%
11Luna Community College
Las Vegas, NM Public · 1 feeder programs
1Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance28%

All 11 schools in New Mexico

Every school in New Mexico 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 New Mexico that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerquePublic1115
University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerquePublic471
New Mexico State University - Dona AnaLas CrucesPublic444
New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologySocorroPublic421
New Mexico State University - Main CampusLas CrucesPublic322
San Juan CollegeFarmingtonPublic201
Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community CollegeRuidosoPublic141
Santa Fe Community CollegeSanta FePublic82
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic InstituteAlbuquerquePublic31
New Mexico State University - AlamogordoAlamogordoPublic21
Luna Community CollegeLas VegasPublic11

What computer network support specialists earn in New Mexico

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

Median annual in New Mexico
$64,550
Mean annual
$73,400
Jobs in state
1,300
What the range looks like
10th pct$46,690Median$64,55090th pct$124,400
Versus the national median
-15.3%

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

Job concentration
1.59×

Concentrated here: New Mexico employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in New Mexico

Santa Fe, NM
$83,650median
60 jobs
Farmington, NM
$61,870median
30 jobs
Albuquerque, NM
$62,410median
710 jobs
Las Cruces, NM
$62,100median
70 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 New Mexico

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 New Mexico.

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 and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance, which awarded 121 degrees in New Mexico in 2024-25, 37.3% 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 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, Computer Science, Computer Programming, Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications. Together they graduate about 324 people a year in New Mexico.

How much do computer network support specialists earn in New Mexico?+

The median is $64,550 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 15.3% 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 New Mexico?+

11 institutions in New Mexico reported graduates from at least one of the 7 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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