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Computer Network Support Specialists

Computer and Mathematical · SOC 15-1231

28.7% AI Exposure — High
$76,220
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
Proj. Annual Openings
146,190
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-3.9%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
71/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 15-1231 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
28.7%
High · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
29/100
Low friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$76,220
H-1B offered wage $80,852; LCAs are filings.
Projected openings
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +1.8%.
Observed/proxy demand
676
FY2025 certified LCAs; 2,965 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingSpeaking
  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

Best transitions from here

Explore all pathways

Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure28.7%
AI Resiliency71/100
Exposure BandHigh
Sector Avg. Exposure35.3%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

58.2%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic28.7%
AI capability · OpenAI63.5%
AI ability · AIOE82.3%

AI could do ~63.5% of this role but only ~28.7% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.

Top Skills

1.Critical Thinking
2.Active Listening
3.Reading Comprehension
4.Judgment and Decision Making
5.Speaking

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.

4,256
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
676
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$80,852
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#87 of 776
Rank by Total Volume
H-1B filing volume, FY2016–FY2025

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers, and other data communications networks. Perform network maintenance to ensure networks operate correctly with minimal interruption.

Common titles: Computer Network Specialist, IT Consultant (Information Technology Consultant), Network Specialist, Network Support Specialist, Network Technical Analyst, Network Technician

Representative Tasks

  • Back up network data.
  • Configure security settings or access permissions for groups or individuals.
  • Analyze and report computer network security breaches or attempted breaches.
  • Identify the causes of networking problems, using diagnostic testing software and equipment.
  • Document network support activities.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Create electronic data backup to prevent loss of information.
  • Implement security measures for computer or information systems.
  • Analyze security of systems, network, or data.
  • Resolve computer network problems.
  • Document network-related activities or tasks.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft Windows Server · hotBash · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotRed Hat Enterprise Linux · hotUNIX Shell · hotIntrusion prevention system IPSMcAfeeNagiosNetwork and system vulnerability assessment softwareNIKSUN NetDetector

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

5
Occupations Shown
31.9%
Avg AI Exposure
4
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 15-1231: 2019 — employment: 185,430, median wage: $63,460; 2020 — employment: 184,220, median wage: $65,450; 2021 — employment: 176,200, median wage: $62,760; 2022 — employment: 168,920, median wage: $68,050; 2023 — employment: 158,720, median wage: $71,530; 2025 — employment: 146,190, median wage: $76,220.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure28.7%35.3%
OutlookAverage19% Bright
Median Salary$76,220N/A
AI Resiliency71/100N/A