Network Security Engineer - CCNA

 information security engineer jobs

What is a CCNA Level Engineer and What Do They Do?

The IT support and services industry is somewhat different than other industries offering professional services to businesses. While the financial industry, lawyers, accountants, and others have industry-standard certifications and required licensing to do business, the IT industry does not.

That’s not to say that there are no benchmarks that IT services professionals meet. Instead of an industry governing body – or the government – setting specific qualifications to do business as an IT professional, certifications are earned from the various hardware and software vendors to prove competency in servicing that specific hardware or software solution.

CCNA is one of those vendor certifications that network engineers work, learn, and test to earn.

CCNA stands for “Cisco Certified Network Associate.”

As you’ve likely guessed, Cisco – the world’s leader in networking and security hardware and software – is the vendor that administers the testing to earn the CCNA certification.

CCNA certification sits on the second tier (Associate) of a four-tier Cisco Career Path Certification program. The four tiers are:

• Tier #1 – Entry
• Tier #2 – Associate
• Tier #3 – Professional
• Tier #4 – Expert

The CCNA designation is assigned to individuals that have successfully completed proprietary Cisco exams in one or more of the following disciplines.

• CCNA Routing and Switching
• CCNA Security
• CCNA Service Provider
• CCNA Cloud
• CCNA Collaboration
• CCNA Wireless
• CCNA Cyber Ops
• CCNA Data Centre
• CCNA Industrial

What Is The Process To Achieve A CCNA Designation?

The training to take the exams is available to applicants in the form of online courses, hard copy books, and in a classroom setting. Once the individual has gone through the material and has proven an acceptable understanding of the material, he/she goes on to take the exam.

Cisco’s CCNA exams are different from the exams you took in school. Cisco exams do not have a set pass/fail score. The pass/fail score fluctuates according to statistical analysis. So going into the exam, the candidate does not know how many questions he/she must answer correctly to pass the test.

After the candidate takes the exam, a report is generated by Cisco showing how the candidate did on each piece of the exam along with an indication as to whether the candidate passed or failed.

If the candidate passes, they are then CCNA certified for the next three years. The recertification process involves taking the exam (but not exactly the same questions) again or taking a test from a higher Cisco certification tier.

What is a Security Engineer?

  security engineer job description

A business’s computer network can never be too secure. Security engineering focuses on designing computer systems that can deal with disruptions such as natural disasters or malicious cyber attacks.

Faulty software can leave networks vulnerable to malware, spyware, adware, phishing and more. A security engineer is someone who analyzes computer networks, ensures they are running securely, and tries to foresee possible security issues that could arise in the future

Which Engineers earn the most?

 

Which Engineers earn the most?

Before we look into the countries that tend to offer the most money for engineers, we thought it might be useful to explore those disciplines of engineering that tend to pay the most.

After all, engineering is something of an umbrella term that encompasses many different industries, specializations and, of course, competition for employment. 

The following are the top twenty highest paid engineering jobs. This data comes courtesy of typeofengineering.com .

The website compiled data from the US. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled with self-reported data from Universities, Forbes Magazine, US News & World Report, and reputable Engineering associations, such as the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Rank	Occupation	Average Annual Salary	Projected % growth in jobs between 2012 and 2022	Projected growth in jobs between 2012 and 2022
1	Petroleum Engineers	$147,520	25.50%	20,000
2	Architectural & Engineering Managers	$138,720	6.70%	61,000
3	Airline Pilots & Flight Engineers	$131,760	-6.60%	19,000
4	Computer Hardware Engineers	$110,650	7.40%	24,000
5	Aerospace Engineers	$107,700	7.30%	25,000
6	Sales Engineers	$104,660	8.90%	17,000
7	Nuclear Engineers	$104,630	9.30%	7,000
8	Chemical Engineers	$103,590	4.50%	9,000
9	Engineering Professors	$102,000	11.80%	11,000
10	Mining & Geological Engineers	$100,970	12%	3,000
11	Electronics Engineers	$99,660	3.40%	35,000
12	Marine Engineers	$99,160	10.30%	3,000
13	Engineers, All Other	$96,350	3.80%	30,000
14	Electrical Engineers	$95,780	4.70%	44,000
15	Biomedical Engineers	$91,760	26.60%	10,000
16	Materials Engineers	$91,150	0.90%	8,000
17	Mechanical Engineers	$87,140	4.50%	100,000
18	Civil Engineers	$87,130	19.70%	120,000
19	Environmental Engineers	$86,340	15.30%	21,000
20	Industrial Engineers	$85,100	4.5%	75,000

As interesting as this is, it must be borne in mind that these figures are just a snapshot in time. They don't, for example, capture potentially future trends in their respective industries. 

Some disciplines, like Petroleum Engineering, are highly paid at present but future employment could be affected by changes in the supply and demand of hydrocarbons around the world.

So long as consumption remains at least comparable to today, as well as reserves, this should be a lucrative choice for the near future.

But there is another interesting consideration with fields like Petroleum Engineering. It is predicted that many current employees are set to retire over the next ten years.

 This will certainly affect the demand for 'new blood', likely inflating offered salaries far in excess of current rates. 

Computer engineering is another field that might not be fairly represented in this data. It is a relatively new discipline in engineering with some claiming it is currently under-supplied with labor.

Of course, the future could see a dramatic reduction in wages as more and more new graduates flood the market over the next few years given its current popularity for undergraduates.

How much money do Techs Make?

 comm tech 2 salary

Tech Jobs Have a Wide Pay Gap

It’s no secret that technology jobs are in high demand. Accordingly, many offer high salaries.

But not all tech jobs are equally lucrative. Read on to find out which careers in the sector command the highest median paychecks, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Automotive technicians, sometimes called mechanics or service technicians, inspect vehicles and diagnose and repair problems. Because the automotive industry is becoming increasingly reliant on computer technology to power vehicle systems, automotive technicians who have an associate degree related to automobile repair may have an edge when looking for jobs.

National Salary Statistics

Bureau of Labor Statistics figures indicate that automotive technicians earned an average annual salary of $38,560 and an average hourly wage of $18.54 as of May 2011. Half of auto technicians reported annual salaries of between $26,850 and $47,540 and hourly wages of between $12.91 and $22.86. The 10 percent of automotive techs who earned the lowest made $20,620 or less per year, and the top 10 percent of earners made $59,600 or more per year. The BLS reports that auto technicians who receive certification from the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence may experience higher pay and better job opportunities.

Geographical Pay Variations

Bureau of Labor Statistics figures as of May 2011 indicate that automotive technicians earned comparable rates of pay whether working in metropolitan or nonmetropolitan areas. On average, the highest-paying jobs were concentrated along the southwest and northeast coastal states, with auto technicians working in Alaska reporting the highest average salary, $52,090 per year. Other high-paying states included the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Auto techs in West Virginia reported the lowest average salary of any state, $28,040 

Cable Technician Requirements

  structured cabling technician salary

Cable Technicians install, repair, and maintain residential cabling for internet and television services. The duties of a Cable Technician include installing feeder lines that provide cable access to homes and businesses, laying ground cable, and setting up associated equipment for customers.

Cable Technician Responsibilities:

• Installing, maintaining, and repairing cable infrastructure.
• Performing maintenance on existing cabling systems.
• Testing newly installed or relocated cables according to company specifications.
• Identifying and removing redundant cabling.
• Installing of televisions, routers and internet technology devices.
• Troubleshooting issues with cable network.
• Installing of cable support structures such as j-hooks, cable racks, and innerduct.
• Repairing cable poles and towers.
• Ensuring all cables are neatly tied and bundled according to safety regulations.
• Completing paperwork such as timesheets, checklists, vehicle inspection reports and service orders.

Cable Technician Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED.
• Previous work experience as a Cable Technician.
• Strong knowledge of mathematics, science and electrical systems.
• Ability to install complex internet and television equipment.
• Ability to work in cramped spaces.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to diagnose, troubleshoot and fix any problems that may arise.
• Ability to work at heights.
• Ability to identify independent colors and learn color codes.
• Valid driver's license.

Career Information about Cable Technicians

 network cabling salary

Career Information about Cable Technicians

Cable technicians are responsible for installing, maintaining, and repairing residential cable television and Internet services. They can service feeder lines that provide cable access to several homes or they can work with drop lines that only allow access for one home. Advanced cable technicians often work on the trunk line, which is the main line for an entire service area. Job duties for cable technicians include inspecting cable lines, laying ground cable, repairing poles and towers and driving work vehicles to jobs

Necessary Education

Most cable service providers will provide training to new employees who have a high school diploma, but some job seekers enroll in training programs offered by technical schools and community colleges. Programs can last up to five years depending on the depth and breadth of the material, and the programs cover subjects like basic electrical engineering, telecommunications, physics, and mechanical engineering.

The completion of apprenticeship programs is common for this field, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Additionally, cable technicians can earn voluntary certifications through associations like the Fiber Optics Association.

Job Skills Required

Cable technicians need to have a high level of manual dexterity and need to have a strong background in math and science. They also need to be good communicators and should be able to solve problems independently.

Economic and Career Outlook

Despite the fact that cable television and Internet equipment is already installed in most residential areas, job growth for line installers and repairers, including cable technicians, is expected to be at 8% from 2016-2026, according to the BLS (www.bls.gov). The median annual wage for cable installers was $38,780 as of March 2019, per Payscale.com.

structured cabling technician salary

  structured cabling technician salary

An early career Cable Technician with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $16.24 based on 270 salaries. ... In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $25

The top respondents for the job title Cable Technician are from the companies Comcast Cable, Inc., Spectrum and AT&T Inc.. Reported salaries are highest at AT&T Inc. where the average pay is $23.95. Other companies that offer high salaries for this role include Cox Communications, Inc. and Comcast Cable, Inc., earning around $22.00 and $18.81, respectively. Mediacom Communications Corporation pays the lowest at around $13.34. Charter Communications, Inc. and Time Warner Cable Company also pay on the lower end of the scale, paying $16.33 and $18.25, respectively.