This career path can lead to a wide variety of job positions, including:
- Network administrator
- Network support technician
- Convergence technology specialist/technician
- Home technology integrator
- Network security specialist
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Job Growth Statistics
- Job openings in computer networking and security are expected to experience tremendous growth in Texas over the next decade.
- Earthweb’s 2007 IT Salary Guide lists network systems analysts as the No. 1 fastest-growing job.
- Network administrators rank No. 5 among the fastest-growing jobs in the country through 2014.
- According to America’s Career Infonet, the market for network systems and data communications analysts should grow more than 50 percent nationwide and an estimated 43 percent in the state of Texas. This category of job positions typically earns between $37,000 and $95,000 per year, with median salaries averaging around $50,000 a year.
- There’s also an anticipated 32 percent increase in job openings for network and computer systems administrators in Texas, with salaries ranging between $36,000 and $88,000 per year. The median average hourly salary was $28.42 in 2004, the last year for which statistics were available.
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Degrees, Certificates and Other Awards
Networking degrees/awards require basic understanding of personal computers and operating systems as obtained in ITSC 1401, BCIS 1405 or COSC 1401, and ITSC 1405 or equivalent experience approved by designated Information Technology personnel. MCSD, MCAD and MCDBA tracks require problem solving and logic structures as obtained in ITSC 2435 or through equivalent experience.
Security degrees/awards require an extensive knowledge of the computer field, including basic understanding of personal computers and operating systems as obtained in ITSC 1401, BCIS 1405 or COSC 1401, as well as strong networking concepts obtained in Cisco and/or Microsoft networking courses or equivalent experiences approved by designated Information Technology personnel.
See the organizational diagram (PDF - 20KB) for this career path.
Networking/Security Awards
Network Administrator and Support - Associate in Applied Sciences Degree
Microsoft Track
Networking Support Certificate (Microsoft)
SQL Server Certificate (Microsoft)
Cisco Track
Networking Professional Certificate (CCNP) (Cisco)
Networking Associate Certificate (CCNA) (Cisco)
Cisco Networking Assistant Skills Achievement Award
Cisco Networking Intern Skills Achievement Award
Convergence Technologies Track
Convergence Technology Technician Certificate
Convergence Technology Intern Certificate
UNIX Track
UNIX Administrator Certificate
UNIX Skills Achievement Award
UNIX (Solaris) Track
UNIX System Administrator Certificate (Solaris)
System i Track
System i Technician Certificate (formerly eServer Applications Developer Certificate)
System i Support Certificate (formerly eServer Applications Developer Support Certificate)
Security Track
Information Security Certificate
Information Security Skills Achievement Award
IT Security Skills Achievement Award