Before going into the scope of network engineers in India, it is pertinent to give readers some context on why network engineers are important.
Network connectivity is crucial to smooth running of business operations in the present age. Through establishment and maintenance of network connections and operating systems, network engineers provide businesses with a key tool that enables hassle-free business and work flows.
A day in the life of a network engineer
For a network engineer, a normal working day may comprise tasks such as formulation of system configuration; supervising system installation; and defining, documenting and enforcing system standards.
Maintenance of network systems
Maintenance of network systems is a key day-to-day responsibility of a network engineer. A network engineer monitors network performance, optimizes network performance, schedules upgrades and works with network designers to increase the system efficiency.
Maintenance of security of a network system
Another vital responsibility of network engineers is the upkeep of the security of a network system. This is done through establishment of security and access policies, implementing them in relevant network systems and also monitoring them.
Network engineers have to keep up with the latest technological developments. They have to submit periodic reports on system performance. For this, they have to compile a report after analyzing a given network system on parameters of performance and security robustness.
Now that we are aware of the key responsibilities of a network engineer, let us understand the scope of network engineers in India:
Network engineers have to don the hat of several roles in the discharge of their duties. Let’s look at some of these roles.
- Network Administrator/Network Specialist
- Network Security Administrator/ Specialist
- Data Center Architect and Data Center Engineer/Administrator
- VoIP/Collaboration Engineers and Administrators
- Service Provider Specialist/ Engineer
- Wireless Network Engineer
- SOC (Security Operations Centre) Analyst Analyst / Engineer
- Cloud Administrator/Engineer
- Industrial Network Administrator
Salary of Network engineers in India
According to Payscale, an entry-level Network Engineer with less than 1 year experience can expect an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of INR 268,454.
An early career Network Engineer with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of INR 322,425.
A mid-career Network Engineer with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of INR 531,422. An experienced Network Engineer with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of over INR 10 lpa.
Factors driving the demand for network engineers in India:
- Expansion of IT infrastructure
The rapid expansion of IT infrastructure in India, thanks to a massive initialization drive by the government, has created immense demand for network engineers in India. The networking domain is huge with sub-domains like routing and switching, security, service provider, collaboration, etc. For example, let’s see routing and switching which are the pillars of networking. The professionals working in this domain handle the basics of networking. Every company will require routing and switching professionals to handle their networks. Hence, a rise in the demand of network engineers is not hard to guess.
- Technological innovation
The world is taking rapid strides in technological development. From dial-up connections a decade or so back, we are here in the 4G and 5G era. This rapid development and up gradation in mobile and data technology has pushed up the demand for network engineers in India.
- Expansion in digital footprint of businesses
Almost all businesses rely on network connectivity for smooth business and workflows. From corporate email networks, to LAN and WAN networks, network engineers are needed in the corporate space too. The demand for network engineers has seen an upswing with the rise in work-from-home culture as businesses adopt remote work culture.
Challenges to the future of network engineers in India:
Among the most prominent challenges to the future of network engineers in India is automation. It is suspected that an increase in automation in the networking domain may slowly replace network engineers. This may cause significant job losses and / or lead to stagnation in job opportunities for network engineers in India.
Conclusion
The future of network engineers in India is bright. In terms of the number of job opportunities as well as the pay package, network engineers have much to cheer about. The only thing that is needed is for network engineers to upskill with time.
Various e-learning platforms such as Skillslash have got tailor-made programs to help network engineers upskill and stay relevant in the job market. Skillslash also provide Data Science course in Bangalore with placement guarantee.
That does it for this article. Hope you enjoyed reading it.
Thank you!
