Network Engineer — training, pay and apprenticeships

The route, drawn out

DWG 3961 · 5 stops · 2 years to qualify

Day one Start as an apprentice from £15.6k
Year 2 Training continues, pay rises min. £21.2k+
2 years Fully qualified around £32k
+3–5 years Experienced up to £58k
Then Vendor certifications (CCNA, CCNP, Azure, AWS) next step

The first figures are legal minimums: the apprentice rate (£8.00/hr) and the National Minimum Wage for 18–20s and 21+ from April 2026, on a 37.5-hour week. Qualified and experienced pay are indicative UK ranges — most employers pay apprentices above the minimum.

What the job is

Network engineers keep data moving: switching, routing, firewalls, wireless, VPNs and increasingly cloud networking. When the network is down, everything is down, so competent engineers are valued and well paid.

The level 4 apprenticeship suits people who like systems thinking and precise configuration. It pairs naturally with vendor certifications that are recognised worldwide.

A typical day

Configure switches, routers, firewalls and wireless systems
Monitor network performance and investigate incidents
Implement security controls, VLANs and access policies
Document topology and maintain change records
Support cloud and hybrid network connectivity

How you get in

Level 3 IT qualification, T Level or equivalent experience is usually expected
Strong logical reasoning and attention to configuration detail
Willingness to work planned out-of-hours changes
Security clearance may be required in some sectors

Where it leads

Vendor certifications (CCNA, CCNP, Azure, AWS)
Network architect or infrastructure lead
Cyber security and network defence specialisms
Consultancy or contracting

Where to train for this

183 colleges and training providers on our list cover Network Engineer training. Open your region to see them, then check current intakes with the provider directly.

East Midlands 8