Ohio·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1231

Best Computer Network Support Specialist programs in Ohio, 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.

79 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 5,270 people a year. The job pays a median of $70,080 in Ohio across about 7,480 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNetwork SpecialistNetwork TechnicianSystems SpecialistNetwork Technical AnalystCloud EngineerNetwork AnalystSupport EngineerCustomer Engineer
Graduates / yr
5,270
in Ohio
Median pay · Ohio
$70,080
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
7,480
people employed
Schools
79
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
49%
across those schools
Median net price
$22,280
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job

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

8 programs in Ohio that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (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 Ohio 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 Ohio
1,803
34.2%
37$70,374$23,250
2
CIP 11.1003In Ohio
1,242
23.6%
28$48,185$25,250
3
CIP 11.0901In Ohio
1,168
22.2%
18$43,901$22,822
4
CIP 11.0201In Ohio
530
10.1%
17$46,719$20,729
5
CIP 11.1006In Ohio
172
3.3%
17$48,185$25,250
6
CIP 11.0501In Ohio
158
3.0%
4$51,805$46,000
7
CIP 11.1002In Ohio
107
2.0%
5$48,185$25,250
8
CIP 11.1001In Ohio
90
1.7%
5$48,185$25,250

Top 25 schools in Ohio

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 19 of the 79 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1MyComputerCareer at Columbus
Columbus, OH Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs
1,293Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications$39,28770%$26,186
2Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
336Computer Science$60,05164%86%
3Sinclair Community College
Dayton, OH Public · 5 feeder programs
334Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications$45,77241%
4University of Dayton
Dayton, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
315Computer Science$74,05280%$28,56065%
5Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
250Computer Science$95,68887%$27,97637%
6University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH Public · 4 feeder programs
235Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance75%85%
7Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
233Computer Programming/Programmer, General50%84%
8Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
221Computer Science$68,28051%91%
9Miami University - Oxford
Oxford, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
206Computer Science80%75%
10Clark State College
Springfield, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
146Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications22%
11Lorain County Community College
Elyria, OH Public · 3 feeder programs
126Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications31%
12Franklin University
Columbus, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
117Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$65,12011%$22,280
13Cuyahoga Community College District
Cleveland, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
112Computer Programming/Programmer, General$33,93731%
14Ohio University - Main Campus
Athens, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
109Computer Science$73,93265%85%
15Stark State College
North Canton, OH Public · 4 feeder programs
101Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications23%
16North Central State College
Mansfield, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
94Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance36%
17University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH Public · 5 feeder programs
85Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$44,21252%60%
18Terra State Community College
Fremont, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
72Computer Programming/Programmer, General39%
19Wright State University - Main Campus
Dayton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
67Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance42%96%
20Kent State University at Trumbull
Warren, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
57Computer Support Specialist32%
21Edison State Community College
Piqua, OH Public · 4 feeder programs
49Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications38%
22Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Cincinnati, OH Public · 3 feeder programs
41Network and System Administration/Administrator$42,45216%
23The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
40Computer Science74%$22,49160%
24Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
37Computer Science$76,61573%$22,70165%
25Denison University
Granville, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
35Computer Science79%$23,86417%

All 79 schools in Ohio

Every school in Ohio 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 Ohio that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
MyComputerCareer at ColumbusColumbusPrivate for-profit1,2933
Kent State University at KentKentPublic3362
Sinclair Community CollegeDaytonPublic3345
University of DaytonDaytonPrivate not-for-profit3151
Case Western Reserve UniversityClevelandPrivate not-for-profit2501
University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnatiPublic2354
Youngstown State UniversityYoungstownPublic2332
Cleveland State UniversityClevelandPublic2212
Miami University - OxfordOxfordPublic2062
Clark State CollegeSpringfieldPublic1462
Lorain County Community CollegeElyriaPublic1263
Franklin UniversityColumbusPrivate not-for-profit1172
Cuyahoga Community College DistrictClevelandPublic1122
Ohio University - Main CampusAthensPublic1092
Stark State CollegeNorth CantonPublic1014

What computer network support specialists earn in Ohio

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

Median annual in Ohio
$70,080
Mean annual
$77,670
Jobs in state
7,480
What the range looks like
10th pct$45,980Median$70,08090th pct$122,470
Versus the national median
-8.1%

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

Job concentration
1.43×

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

Metro areas in Ohio

Columbus, OH
$81,220median
1,710 jobs
Springfield, OH
$65,940median
60 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$71,920median
1,420 jobs
Akron, OH
$72,360median
400 jobs
Cleveland, OH
$67,050median
1,490 jobs
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
$65,900median
410 jobs
Canton-Massillon, OH
$65,810median
170 jobs
Toledo, OH
$65,560median
280 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 Ohio

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 Ohio.

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 1,803 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 34.2% 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 5,270 people a year in Ohio.

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

The median is $70,080 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 8.1% 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 Ohio?+

79 institutions in Ohio 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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