Wisconsin·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1231

Best Computer Network Support Specialist programs in Wisconsin, 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.

39 schools in Wisconsin run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,809 people a year. The job pays a median of $81,010 in Wisconsin across about 1,140 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNetwork SpecialistNetwork TechnicianSystems SpecialistNetwork Technical AnalystCloud EngineerNetwork AnalystSupport EngineerCustomer Engineer
Graduates / yr
1,809
in Wisconsin
Median pay · Wisconsin
$81,010
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,140
people employed
Schools
39
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
55%
across those schools
Median net price
$21,076
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Wisconsin that lead to this job

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

7 programs in Wisconsin that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Wisconsin (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 Wisconsin page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 11.1006In Wisconsin
396
21.9%
15$48,185$25,250
2
CIP 11.1003In Wisconsin
375
20.7%
23$48,185$25,250
3
CIP 11.0701In Wisconsin
363
20.1%
16$70,374$23,250
4
CIP 11.0201In Wisconsin
337
18.6%
14$46,719$20,729
5
CIP 11.0901In Wisconsin
225
12.4%
15$43,901$22,822
6
CIP 11.1001In Wisconsin
87
4.8%
10$48,185$25,250
7
CIP 11.0902In Wisconsin
26
1.4%
3$43,901$22,822

Top 25 schools in Wisconsin

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 15 of the 39 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee, WI Public · 5 feeder programs
229Computer Support Specialist25%
2University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
200Computer Science$73,79549%91%
3Waukesha County Technical College
Pewaukee, WI Public · 6 feeder programs
149Computer Programming/Programmer, General44%
4Chippewa Valley Technical College
Eau Claire, WI Public · 3 feeder programs
140Computer Programming/Programmer, General$44,67350%
5Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
115Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$43,90965%
6Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
104Computer Support Specialist$36,38951%
7Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Green Bay, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
104Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications51%
8Madison Area Technical College
Madison, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
94Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$54,78429%
9Moraine Park Technical College
Fond du Lac, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
76Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance58%
10Northcentral Technical College
Wausau, WI Public · 5 feeder programs
67Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$42,27145%
11Northwood Technical College
Rice Lake, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
61Network and System Administration/Administrator$41,47356%
12Lakeshore Technical College
Cleveland, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
57Computer Support Specialist50%
13Western Technical College
La Crosse, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
55Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$45,07734%
14Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
46Computer Science67%$20,16759%
15University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Green Bay, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
35Computer Science$52,32448%89%
16University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Whitewater, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
33Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance59%86%
17Herzing University - Madison
Madison, WI Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
29Network and System Administration/Administrator$57,22928%$20,96594%
18Mid - State Technical College
Wisconsin Rapids, WI Public · 4 feeder programs
28Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance52%
19University of Wisconsin - Stout
Menomonie, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
28Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications$66,62355%88%
20University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Platteville, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
26Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance56%89%
21Nicolet Area Technical College
Rhinelander, WI Public · 5 feeder programs
24Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance44%
22Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
14Computer Science83%$25,37681%
23Lawrence University
Appleton, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
13Computer Science77%$19,78864%
24Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Fennimore, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
11Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance66%
25Carroll University
Waukesha, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
10Computer Science71%$22,60167%

All 39 schools in Wisconsin

Every school in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Milwaukee Area Technical CollegeMilwaukeePublic2295
University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukeePublic2001
Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukeePublic1496
Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau ClairePublic1403
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppletonPublic1154
Gateway Technical CollegeKenoshaPublic1044
Northeast Wisconsin Technical CollegeGreen BayPublic1044
Madison Area Technical CollegeMadisonPublic944
Moraine Park Technical CollegeFond du LacPublic764
Northcentral Technical CollegeWausauPublic675
Northwood Technical CollegeRice LakePublic614
Lakeshore Technical CollegeClevelandPublic574
Western Technical CollegeLa CrossePublic554
Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukeePrivate not-for-profit461
University of Wisconsin - Green BayGreen BayPublic352

What computer network support specialists earn in Wisconsin

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

Median annual in Wisconsin
$81,010
Mean annual
$81,420
Jobs in state
1,140
What the range looks like
10th pct$57,840Median$81,01090th pct$107,840
Versus the national median
+6.3%

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

Job concentration
0.41×

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

Metro areas in Wisconsin

Madison, WI
$90,400median
460 jobs
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$75,740median
30 jobs
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
$74,960median
240 jobs
Green Bay, WI
$72,440median
60 jobs
Eau Claire, WI
$67,870median
40 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 Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin.

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 Support Specialist, which awarded 396 degrees in Wisconsin in 2024-25, 21.9% 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 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 1,809 people a year in Wisconsin.

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

The median is $81,010 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.3% 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 Wisconsin?+

39 institutions in Wisconsin 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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