In this guide
- Why are junior network engineer jobs so hard to find?
- Which entry level networking jobs can you actually get?
- What do entry level networking jobs pay?
- How do you get a network engineer job with no experience?
- What do employers look for in entry level candidates?
- What mistakes should you avoid?
- How long before you can move up?
- How Experiencely can help
Entry level networking jobs in the UK are mostly network technician, NOC analyst, IT support with network duties and field engineer roles. Very few employers advertise a true "junior network engineer" job, so most people get one of these first and step up after a year or two. If you want a network engineer job with no experience, the trick is getting some real experience before you apply.
Why are junior network engineer jobs so hard to find?
The numbers show it. ITJobsWatch counted 1,213 permanent UK network engineer adverts in the six months to November 2026. Over the same period it found only 6 adverts titled junior network engineer.
Employers know a bad change on a core switch can take down a whole office. So they hire network engineers who've already made mistakes somewhere else, and they fill junior seats internally from their support and NOC teams.
That's frustrating if you're starting out. It's also useful, because it tells you exactly where to apply.
Which entry level networking jobs can you actually get?
Network technician. Patching, cabling, swapping hardware, basic switch configuration and first-line fault finding. It's the classic first step, and the National Careers Service lists starting as a network technician as a route into engineering. Our network technician guide covers the role in more detail.
NOC analyst. Network operations centre staff watch monitoring tools, respond to alerts, open tickets and follow runbooks. You see a lot of real outages very quickly. Read our NOC engineer guide for what the job involves.
IT support or service desk with network duties. Choose employers where support staff are allowed to touch switches, Wi-Fi and firewalls. Ask about this at interview.
Field engineer. Travelling to sites to install and fix kit for a managed service provider or telecoms firm. Hands-on, often with a van, and great experience.
Network cable installer. Physical infrastructure. Less glamorous, but the National Careers Service lists a Level 3 network cable installer apprenticeship as an entry route.
Apprenticeships. The National Careers Service lists a Level 4 Network Engineer apprenticeship and a Level 6 degree apprenticeship with a networking option. Good if you're eligible and can get a place.
What do entry level networking jobs pay?
Prospects, using recruiter Ashdown Group's data, gives £22,000 to £28,000 for entry level network roles. The National Careers Service starter salary for network engineers is £25,500.
ITJobsWatch shows medians of £32,000 for network technician adverts and £30,000 for junior network engineer adverts in the six months to November 2026. Both samples were small, so take them as a rough guide.
The pay jump comes when you move up. Experienced network engineers earn around £52,000 according to the National Careers Service, and advert medians run higher.
How do you get a network engineer job with no experience?
You don't go straight from nothing to network engineer. You go from nothing to evidence, then to a first role, then up. Here's the plan I'd follow.
- Learn the fundamentals properly. Start with CompTIA Network+ or go straight to CCNA study if you're confident. Subnetting needs to be second nature.
- Build a lab, then move beyond it. Cisco Packet Tracer or GNS3 to practise. Labs teach commands. They don't teach you what happens when a real user can't print and it's 9am on Monday.
- Get real network experience. A live project, a placement, volunteering for a charity or school, or taking on network tasks at your current job. This is the step that changes your CV.
- Document everything. Diagrams, change records, before and after configs. These become interview stories.
- Apply for technician, NOC and support roles alongside junior engineer roles. Don't wait for the perfect title.
- Keep studying in the job. Finish the CCNA if you haven't, then look at CCNP.
What do employers look for in entry level candidates?
Read twenty entry level adverts and the same requirements come up. Understanding of TCP/IP, subnetting, VLANs and routing basics. Some familiarity with Cisco IOS or similar. Comfort with Windows and basic Linux. A driving licence for field roles.
Then the softer things. Clear communication with non-technical users. Willingness to work some out-of-hours changes. Careful, methodical working.
Notice what's missing: years of experience in exactly the same role. Entry level adverts are looking for signs you'll be safe and useful quickly. Real project work, even short, is the strongest sign you can give.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Waiting until you've passed every certificate. CCNA helps. You don't need CCNP to get your first networking job.
Applying only for "network engineer" titles. You'll miss most of the real entry points.
Writing a CV that's just a list of certificates. Hiring managers want to see what you did, on what kit, and what the outcome was.
Ignoring field and on-site roles. They're often less competitive and give you hands-on time faster than desk roles.
Taking a support job with no network access. If you can't touch the network, you won't build network experience. Ask at interview who handles network tickets and whether support staff can shadow them.
If you want to see how the junior role itself looks once you're in, our junior network engineer page covers the day-to-day.
How long before you can move up?
It varies, but a common pattern looks like this. For example, someone starts as a network technician or NOC analyst, spends the first six months learning the estate and handling first-line faults, then starts picking up small changes under supervision. By the end of year one they've got the CCNA and a list of real fixes they can talk about. Somewhere between year one and year two, they apply for a junior network engineer role, either internally or elsewhere.
What speeds it up is being visible. Volunteer for weekend change windows. Offer to update the network diagrams. Ask the senior engineer if you can watch them work a major incident. These things cost you a few hours and get you noticed.
What slows it down is staying quiet in a role with no network access. If six months in you still haven't logged into a switch, it's time to have a conversation with your manager, or start looking elsewhere.
How Experiencely can help
Experiencely's network engineering programme is aimed at people who need real experience, not only certificates. Training covers A+, Network+, Security+, CCNA, ENCOR and ENARSI. You're placed on a live remote network project within 48 hours and work on it for about an hour a day over three months, around your current job, so you can keep earning while you build 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
What are the best entry level networking jobs in the UK?
The most common first roles are network technician, NOC analyst, IT support or service desk analyst with network duties, field engineer and network cable installer. Junior network engineer roles exist but are rarely advertised, so most people move into them after a year or two in one of these jobs.
Can I get a network engineer job with no experience?
Rarely as your very first job. Most employers want some hands-on time first. You can get there faster by earning the CCNA, getting real experience on a live network through a placement, volunteering or your current employer, and applying for technician and NOC roles in the meantime.
How much do entry level networking jobs pay?
Prospects, using Ashdown Group data, gives £22,000 to £28,000 for entry level network roles. The National Careers Service gives a starter salary of £25,500 for network engineers. Pay rises quickly once you move into an engineer role with real responsibility.
Do I need a degree for an entry level networking job?
No. The National Careers Service lists apprenticeships, college courses and working your way up from network technician as routes in. Certifications such as CompTIA Network+ and Cisco CCNA, plus evidence of real work, matter more to most UK employers than a degree.
Sources
Figures are taken from the sources below. Salary ranges are indicative and individual offers vary. Last checked 9 November 2026.