10 Best Networking Certifications for IT Professionals in 2023

Networking professionals are in high demand thanks to the integral role they play in managing the interconnection of computer devices and the transfer of data and resources between them. However, it’s not the easiest field to break into as a complete beginner nor as someone with experience in a relevant field.

Most employers are on the lookout for multifaceted individuals with a blend of experiences in the tech field. This is usually presented in the form of individual projects and certifications.

According to Cisco, 99% of organizations use the presence or absence of relevant certificates when making a hiring decision. Furthermore, 78% of tech executives take the certification of a potential candidate into consideration, too.

If you’re lost in the sea of networking certification options, this article will help you determine the best and the most in-demand certification programs.

Table of Contents

The Cisco CCIE stands for Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert certification program. It’s credited worldwide and considered one of the most prestigious networking certificates in the IT industry.

It focuses on intent-based networking when it comes to connecting users and building interconnected applications. You can also be expected to create multi-domain solutions that span enterprises, data centers, and service providers.

Pricing

The written exam costs $450 per attempt, and the lab exam costs $1,600 per attempt.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed0

Cisco recommends having 5 to 7 years of hands-on experience with enterprise networking technology before attempting the scam. The Cisco CCIE is considered an advanced certificate with a high level of technicality.

Duration

120 minutes for the written exam and 8 hours for the lab.

Testing Location

You can choose from one of many in-person locations around the globe. You can also opt for a mobile testing center, where you can either bring your own device or use one of Cisco’s own for an additional $300 on the Lab exam.

Self-Study Prep Material

Cisco offers plenty of learning material on The Cisco Learning Network for the CCIE certification program. It also recommends 400 hours of study to pass the written exam and 1,400 hours of study to pass the lab exam. Studying an average of 25 hours per week should take you 16 months.

The CompTIA Network+ certificate is designed for absolute beginners, providing proof of expertise for wired and wireless networks. It goes over general concepts ranging from troubleshooting and configuration to architecture and network security and implementation.

It’s a platform-agnostic certification that trains you to support networking infrastructure on any platform.

Pricing

The base exam costs $338 per attempt.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

It’s for early-career individuals. However, it’s recommended that you have a minimum of 9 months of networking experience or a CompTIA A+ certification.

Duration

90 minutes for answering 90 questions.

Testing Location

There are online and in-person options for testing.

Self-Study Prep Material

CompTIA offers a wide variety of self-study material to help you prepare for the certifications including study guides, online training, books, and labs.

Similar to Network+, Security+ is a baseline certificate for newcomers to the networking field, but it still opens doors for new employment opportunities. Certificate holders should be able to assess enterprise security, recommend solutions, monitor and secure cloud infrastructure, operate in compliance with policies and principles of governance, and respond to security incidents.

It’s recommended as one of the first security certifications an IT professional should consider acquiring early on in their career. The CompTIA Security+ is for intermediate-level networking and security experts looking to improve their accreditation.

Pricing

The base exam costs $392 per attempt.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

Minimum of 2 years of experience as an IT network administrator with a focus on network security, troubleshooting, configuration, and management. CompTIA also recommends acquiring the CompTIA Network+ certificate beforehand.

Duration

90 minutes for 90 questions.

Testing Locations

There are online and in-person options for testing.

Self-Study Prep Material

CompTIA offers a wide variety of self-study material to help you prepare for the certifications including study guides, online training, books, and labs. Going over the study material for someone with 2 to 3 years of experience should take 30 to 45 days.

Also read: Top Storage Management Certifications

The Cisco CCNA stands for Cisco Certified Network Associate and it’s a certification program for early-career individuals in the IT industry. It’s designed to validate your skills in network fundamentals, automation and programmability, and network security fundamentals.

It particularly focuses on helping you install, troubleshoot, manage, and configure medium-sized, enterprise networks.

Pricing

The Cisco CCNA exam costs $300 plus tax depending on the examination location.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

Cisco recommends a minimum of 1 year of experience in implementing and managing Cisco solutions in medium-sized networks.

Duration

120 minutes.

Testing Location

You’ll be able to take your CCNA certification exam either online or in person.

Self-Study Prep Material

Cisco offers a number of self-study prep materials for the CCNA examination, including classroom training, digital subscription, and private group training. It also recommends 6 months of intensive preparation for the CCNA certificate exam through its CCNA e-learning course.

The AWS Advanced Network Certification is used to validate your skillset in using Amazon’s AWS platform for network implementation. It especially focuses on your expertise in advanced automation, scripting, network security, and architecting knowledge all within the AWS framework.

The certification is designed to help early-career IT professionals and network administrators sharpen their skills for managing AWS-based networks.

Pricing

$300 per attempt.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

It’s advisable that you have prior experience with AWS technology, including AWS security best practices, data storage options, and networking structures and how they relate to other AWS services.

Duration

170 minutes for 65 questions.

Testing Location

You can register to take the exam at the Pearson VUE testing center or for an online proctored exam.

Self-Study Prep Material

AWS offers specialized training for advanced networking with access to 15+ digital classrooms to help prepare you for the exam. There’s also the AWS Skill Builder platform with 500+ digital courses, 25+ learning plans, and 19 Ramp-Up guides.

The Azure Network Engineer Associate certification is for professionals looking to validate an expert-level skillset in managing Microsoft’s Azure platform. It includes expertise in hybrid networks, connectivity, and security, along with the planning, implementation, and maintenance of Azure-based network solutions.

This certification is aimed at network engineers working with cloud administrators, solution architects, security engineers, and app developers in an Azure environment.

Pricing

The exam costs $165 in the US, but the cost varies depending on the region.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

Candidates should have expert-level experience with the planning, implementation, and maintenance of hybrid networks, routing, and security in an Azure setting.

Duration

100 minutes for 54 questions.

Testing Location

The exam is available in in-person testing centers or online at home. You’ll be able to select the appropriate examination method during registration.

Self-Study Prep Material

Microsoft offers a self-paced learning path for designing and implementing Microsoft Azure networking solutions.

The Cisco CCNP Enterprise Certification is a professional-level accreditation with an enterprise focus on the skills covered in the exam. The core exam covers dual-stack architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, network assurance, security, and automation for enterprise-grade networks.

It’s best suitable for aspiring network administrators, system engineers, network support technicians, and mid-level network engineers.

Pricing

The primary exam costs $400, while the secondary exam’s cost varies.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

Cisco recommends you have 3 to 5 years of experience in implementing enterprise-grade network solutions

Duration

120 minutes.

Testing Location

The exam is available in person at a number of testing centers and online for remote candidates.

Self-Study Prep Materials

Cisco offers several resources to help you prepare for the CCNP Enterprise Certification ranging from e-learning and classroom training options to digital subscription and private training.

Also read: Top Virtualization Certifications in 2022

CompTIA A+ is an attractive certificate for newcomers to the IT field, though veteran IT professionals find themselves receiving a pay raise from employers who value the extra certification.

Certificate holders will be able to demonstrate baseline IT security skills, the ability to configure devices across most major operating systems, troubleshooting and problem-solving, basic networking capabilities, and knowledge of backup and recovery best practices.

Pricing

The exam costs $246 per attempt.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

CompTIA recommends candidates have 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience in troubleshooting, managing, and implementing basic networking functionalities compatible with operating systems.

Duration

90 minutes per exam for 2 exams.

Testing Location

There are online and in-person options for testing.

Self-Study Prep Material

CompTIA offers online training to help prepare you for the A+ certification exam.

The Google Associate Cloud Engineer is designed to validate your ability to deploy, monitor, and manage applications and operations in an enterprise setting. It’s an entry-level option for use of the Google Cloud Console and Cloud Platform.

Pricing

The cost of the exam is $125 per attempt.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

Google recommends candidates have a minimum of 6 months of hands-on experience with the Google Cloud platform and operations.

Duration

120 minutes.

Testing Location

You can register for the certification exam at a testing center or online from a remote location.

Self-Study Prep Material

Google offers a Cloud Engineering learning path to help prepare you for the exam. The training can be taken online, as in-person classes, or through hands-on lab training.

The JNCIA Junos certification is an intermediate-level accreditation that targets network professionals looking to validate their skills in working with a Junos OS environment and their understanding of it.

The exam will cover subjects like networking fundamentals, user interfaces with a focus on command line inputs, network configuration, network operational monitoring and maintenance, routing fundamentals, routing policy, and firewall filters.

Pricing

The written exam costs $200 per attempt.

Requirements

There are no prior requirements for this certification.

Skills Needed

Juniper Networks recommends candidates have an intermediate-level understanding of Juniper Networks Junos OS, network fundamentals, as well as basic knowledge in internet routing.

Duration

90 minutes for 65 questions.

Testing Location

You can register for the JNCIA Junos exam with the Pearson VUE testing center.

Self-Study Prep Materials

Juniper offers multiple training resources to help you prepare for the exam, such as getting started with networking, introduction to the Junos OS, the Juniper TechLibrary, in addition to the Juniper Learning Portal.

Top 8 Benefits of Getting a Networking Certification

Acquiring official certification to validate your level in your respective field shouldn’t be an afterthought; it’s not a decision to be taken lightly. A single certification costs in the hundreds are required anywhere from weeks to months of preparation beforehand.

However, there are numerous benefits to putting in the time, effort, and funds towards acquiring one or more globally accredited certifications in your field, such as:

1. Staying Up to Date

IT and networking are two fields in the technology sector that are rapidly evolving, with new techniques, methodologies, and standards introduced. Even material you might’ve learned less than 5 years ago at a university course might be obsolete by now.

Certification programs are made to always adhere to the latest standards and information in the field. Gaining a certificate and regularly renewing its validity as soon as it expires is one of the best ways you can showcase your expertise to your respective employers.

2. Professional Credibility

While university and college degrees are widely recognized, there are other ways you can boost your professional credibility among your peers and future employers without having to go back to school. That’s because the best networking certifications are offered by corporations that are considered at the top of their field worldwide.

Employers themselves often work directly with IT vendors such as Google, Cisco, and Microsoft to train their employees using their courses and validating their skill set through their examination process.

3. Sharpening Your Expertise

Networking certifications tend to range from general and entry-level to highly-specific expert- and intermediate-level materials.

Resorting to certifications to further your career would enable you to focus on a specific sub-category of information to become an expert in, rather than having to spend years familiarizing yourself with skills and information you don’t need in your occupation of choice.

4. Increasing Your Salary

For those in the IT industry, earning a new certification can boost your annual income by upwards of $12,000. And by comparing the average cost of a certificate in addition to the training costs, it usually comes back as a better return on investment compared to traditional education.

5. Gain a Competitive Edge

Certification programs by industry leaders are highly valued because they aren’t easy to get. The examination process tends to be strict and detail-oriented. This shows that individuals who managed to earn such certifications are highly skilled in their field.

On a resume, a certification or two from Cisco and another from Microsoft or Google are one of the best ways you can differentiate yourself from the competition as the most qualified candidate for the position.

6. A Requirement for Future Certifications

Most entry-level and intermediate-level certifications don’t have any prior requirements for candidates. However, that’s rarely the case with expert-level certifications.

For example, the Juniper Networks JNCIA Junos certification is considered a prerequisite for the following, higher-level, certification: the Juniper Enterprise Routing and Switching Specialist (JNCIS-ENT). Another example is the Cisco CCNP Service Provider certification, in which to apply for the exam, you need either a valid CCNA Service Provider certification or a valid CCIE certification.

So while you may not need some entry-level certifications for your current career goals, they may be essential for acquiring more advanced certifications.

7. Worldwide Recognition

The validity of certain traditional education degrees as well as foreign job experience may not be recognizable if you move to work abroad. Certifications provided by the likes of CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, and Google, however, are recognized either globally or in a large number of foreign countries.

By acquiring one or more of the previously-mentioned networking certifications, you’ll be able to work with clients and employers abroad who use the same base platform for their network infrastructure.

8. Perfect Alongside Other Certificates

Instead of a single certificate in a highly-specific area, many employers are starting to see the value in individuals capable of seeing the full picture. You can further widen your horizon through other technology certification programs to add to your networking skills.

There are numerous certifications to validate your skills in data recovery and backup. As for how the data is stored and accessed within the network, there are certifications for data storage professionals. Not to mention the need for virtualization technology when managing large-scale systems with numerous access points.

Who Shouldn’t Get a Networking Certification?

Despite their importance and high value in the tech and networking industries, certifications aren’t a solution to all of your career problems as a network administrator or engineer.

For one, certifications are a way to validate pre-existing knowledge and you need to already be well-versed in handling networks before attempting an exam. They’re not a replacement for basic traditional education.

Furthermore, if your resume starts depending on certifications, you won’t be able to stop getting them. As soon as a certification expires, you have to renew it, or else you’re left with a gap in your expertise. Also, while most networking certifications are valid for around 3 years, software and networking technology is moving at a much faster pace.

Most importantly, a number of certifications only show that you’re good at taking tests. Real-life situations tend to be more complex, but also less rigid. Exams, instead focus on testing a highly specific skill set rather than a wider understanding of how a network works and interacts with other systems.

In other words, networking certifications should be something that you add to your resume to impress employers and gain a competitive edge over your peers during the employment process. You shouldn’t get a highly specific certification and rely on it fully to propel your career forward.

Bottom Line: Acquiring the Best Networking Certifications

Networking certifications are a way to officially validate your expertise and skills in a specific area of network administration and engineering. They vary in difficulty, cost, and validity depending on the vendor that provides them. However, they’re an important indicator of value for employers looking for new candidates.

There are numerous networking certification programs that help keep you up to date and build upon your resume offered by Cisco, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Juniper Networks, and CompTIA, all at varying levels of expertise and at different price points.

While tech certifications aren’t the right answer for everyone looking to break into networking, they’re highly beneficial and could serve as a salary boost and can help you in the case of relocating to work abroad.

Read more: Top 10 Data Recovery Certifications