In this guide
- Is network engineering a good career to switch into?
- What skills transfer from your current job?
- What should you learn first?
- Can you become a network engineer at 40?
- Which first jobs should you aim for?
- How long does the switch take?
- How do you get experience while you're still working?
- How Experiencely can help
A career change to network engineer is realistic in the UK, at 25, 40 or later. Plan on six to twelve months of part-time study and hands-on practice to get a first networking role, usually a technician or NOC job, then a year or two more to reach a network engineer title. The people who make it learn the fundamentals properly, get real experience early and keep their income while they switch.
Is network engineering a good career to switch into?
The pay at the top end is good. The National Careers Service gives £52,000 for experienced network engineers, and ITJobsWatch shows a median of £60,000 in UK permanent adverts for the six months to November 2026, from 1,213 adverts.
The entry point is lower. Prospects, using Ashdown Group's data, gives £22,000 to £28,000 for entry level roles. The National Careers Service starter figure is £25,500.
Networking also suits certain personalities. If you like working out why something's broken, enjoy logic and don't mind an occasional evening change window, you'll probably enjoy it. If you hate detail, you won't.
What skills transfer from your current job?
More than you'd expect. The trick is describing them in a way a network manager recognises.
Trades and electrical work. Fault-finding, working safely, reading diagrams, following procedures. Cabling and physical infrastructure will feel familiar.
Engineering and manufacturing. Systematic troubleshooting, root cause analysis, change control.
Customer service and retail. Calm handling of frustrated users. NOC and support teams need this every day.
Armed forces and emergency services. Working under pressure, following procedures exactly, shift work. Many network operations teams run 24/7.
Admin and finance. Accuracy and documentation. Network change records and diagrams have to be right.
Put these on your CV as skills with examples, not as a separate "previous life" section at the bottom.
What should you learn first?
Keep the order simple.
- IT and networking fundamentals. How devices get addresses, how data moves, what switches and routers do. CompTIA Network+ is a good structured first step.
- Subnetting. Practise until it's automatic. It comes up in almost every junior interview.
- CCNA. Cisco's exam covers network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability. It's the certificate UK network adverts mention most. Our CCNA guide covers the detail.
- Real network experience. This is the step self-learners skip, and the one employers weigh most.
Don't jump to advanced material like BGP design or network automation before the basics are solid. It looks impressive and doesn't get you hired.
Can you become a network engineer at 40?
Yes. Age is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, so employers can't lawfully treat you worse because of it. More to the point, plenty of network teams like hiring people who've already held down a job, dealt with difficult customers and understand how businesses work.
The challenges at 40 are mostly practical.
Time. Work and family come first. An hour a day, every day, beats an exhausting weekend that you can't keep up.
Money. A move to an entry level salary might hurt. Work out your minimum before you start, and look at whether your current employer has an IT team you could move into.
Hands-on work. Some networking roles involve lifting kit, climbing into comms cupboards and driving to sites. If that's a problem, focus on NOC, network support or design-leaning roles.
Confidence. Interviewing alongside graduates can feel strange. Remember you bring things they can't: reliability, judgement and years of dealing with people.
My advice if you're 40 or older: don't quit your job to study. Retrain alongside it and move when you've got an offer.
Which first jobs should you aim for?
Target the roles that actually hire beginners. Network technician, NOC analyst, field engineer, and IT support roles where support staff are allowed to touch the network. Our network technician guide explains the most common starting point.
The National Careers Service lists starting as a network technician and earning certifications on the job as a route into network engineering. It also lists apprenticeships, including a Level 4 Network Engineer apprenticeship, though eligibility and availability vary.
Don't overlook your current employer. If your organisation has an IT team, tell them you're studying networking and ask whether you can help with a cabling job, a Wi-Fi survey or a site move. Internal moves are often the quickest route of all, because they already trust you.
When you apply, read adverts for clues. Mentions of a large estate, multiple sites, Cisco or Meraki kit, or a network team you'd sit near are good signs. "Password resets and printers" is not.
How long does the switch take?
It depends on your starting point and how many hours you can give it. As a rough guide for someone studying part time:
- Months 1 to 3: Networking fundamentals and Network+ study. Daily subnetting practice.
- Months 3 to 6: CCNA study, Packet Tracer labs, and your first real network experience.
- Months 6 to 12: CCNA exam, more hands-on work, a rewritten CV and applications for technician, NOC and support roles.
- Years 1 to 3: In role, taking on changes and projects, then stepping up to a junior network engineer title.
That's not a promise. Some people move faster because their current employer gives them network work early. Others take longer because they can only study at weekends. Consistency matters more than speed. A steady hour a day for a year will get you further than three intense months followed by burnout.
How do you get experience while you're still working?
This is the hardest part of any career change. Employers want experience, and you can't get experience without a job.
Ways round it, roughly from weakest to strongest: Packet Tracer and GNS3 labs, volunteering to look after the network for a charity, club or school, taking on network tasks at your current employer, and structured placements on live projects with mentor support.
The strongest options give you a real network, real users and someone who saw your work. That's what turns "studied networking" into "worked on networks" on your CV. For the wider picture of routes in, see our guide to becoming a network engineer.
How Experiencely can help
Experiencely's network engineering programme is designed to fit around a current job. Training covers A+, Network+, Security+, CCNA, ENCOR and ENARSI. You're placed on a live remote network project within 48 hours and spend about an hour a day on it for three months, so you can keep earning and paying the bills while you build real experience. The programme costs £2,495. If you aren't hired within 60 days of finishing, and you've met the conditions, you get your money back.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change career to network engineering with no IT background?
Yes. Most career changers start with networking fundamentals and Network+ or CCNA, then get hands-on experience and move into a technician, NOC or support role before stepping up. The National Careers Service lists working your way up from network technician as a recognised route in.
Is 40 too late to become a network engineer?
No. Age is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, and many network teams value maturity and reliability. The real challenges at 40 tend to be time and money, so choose a route you can study part time while you keep earning.
How long does it take to change career to network engineering?
For someone studying part time from scratch, getting ready for a first entry level networking role commonly takes six to twelve months. Moving from that role into a network engineer position usually takes another one to two years of hands-on work.
Will I take a pay cut moving into networking?
Possibly at first. Prospects gives £22,000 to £28,000 for entry level network roles, and the National Careers Service gives £25,500 for starters. Experienced engineers earn around £52,000 according to the National Careers Service, so the drop is usually temporary.
Sources
Figures are taken from the sources below. Salary ranges are indicative and individual offers vary. Last checked 9 November 2026.