Network engineer certifications: what job ads name in each country

Which certifications do network-engineer ads name, by country?

We searched one month of Adzuna job ads for the local network-engineer job title and counted the ads that contain each certification name. The table covers the 10 countries we track. Where a share is under 1%, or a country has too few ads for a share, the cell gives the count of ads instead.

Source: Adzuna API, network-engineer job ads collected in October 2026, matched by exact phrase: ccna, ccnp and comptia network. Analysis: CertWorthIt. How we count.

An ad that names both Cisco certifications counts once in each column, so the CCNA and CCNP figures cannot be added together.

Show the numbers

Certifications in network engineer job ads, by country. Share of job ads that name each item. Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.

Item	United States	United Kingdom	India	Brazil	France	Germany
CCNP	United States20%	United Kingdom14%	India16%	Brazil7%	France3%	Germany4%
CCNA	United States16%	United Kingdom11%	India16%	Brazil12%	France2%	Germany5%
CompTIA	United States4.9%	United Kingdom19%	India1%	Brazil0 ads	France0 ads	Germany0 ads
CompTIA Network+	United States1.5%	United Kingdom3%	India6 ads	Brazil2 ads	France0 ads	Germany0 ads

The US, the UK and India

Of the 9,475 US network-engineer ads we counted in October 2026, 1,892 named the CCNP, 1,557 the CCNA and 139 CompTIA Network+ (Adzuna). In the UK, 92 of the 658 network-engineer ads on Adzuna in October 2026 named the CCNP, 74 the CCNA and 23 Network+. India had 775 network-engineer ads on Adzuna in October 2026: 126 named the CCNP and 121 the CCNA.

Our reading: in these three countries, the Cisco certifications are the ones to plan around. Network+ fits earlier in a career, at the help-desk stage described in the path from IT support.

Brazil, Mexico and Spain

In Brazil we search the title analista de redes (network analyst). Of the 260 Brazilian ads on Adzuna in October 2026, 32 named the CCNA, 19 the CCNP and 2 Network+. Mexico had 38 ingeniero de redes ads in October 2026, too few for a share; 6 of them named the CCNP and 2 the CCNA (Adzuna). Spain had 14 ingeniero de redes ads in October 2026, too few for a share, and the CCNA appeared in none of the 14 ads (Adzuna).

France, Germany, Italy and Poland

In France, 26 of 788 ingénieur réseau ads on Adzuna in October 2026 named the CCNP and 14 the CCNA; Network+ appeared in none of the 788 ads. German ads are searched under netzwerkadministrator (network administrator): in October 2026, 29 of 535 named the CCNA and 19 the CCNP (Adzuna). In Italy we search the English title; of 103 Italian network engineer ads in October 2026, 34 named the CCNP and 19 the CCNA (Adzuna). Poland had 22 administrator sieci ads in October 2026, too few for a share; 8 of them named the CCNA and 5 the CCNP (Adzuna).

We do not count skill words in these four countries, so we cannot say how often their ads name Cisco equipment. Before you pay for an exam there, read 20 network-engineer ads in your city and note which vendors and credentials they name.

What the count misses

We match exact phrases. Network+ is counted by the phrase comptia network, so an ad that writes only "Network+" is missed, and the real figure for Network+ is likely higher than our count. We do not separate required from preferred, and the figures come from one month of ads, so they say nothing about direction over time.

Which certification is best for a network engineer?

The best certification for a network engineer depends on your stage. Before your first network job, take the CCNA. Once you configure and troubleshoot networks every day, take the CCNP in the track that matches that work. Network+ fits the help-desk years if you plan to stay in support or move toward security; for a network-engineer job, the CCNA can be your only networking exam.

The order follows from what the exams cover. Cisco lists no prerequisite for either level. The CCNA is one $300 exam at the associate level. CCNP Enterprise is two exams ($700 in the US) at the professional level, and its core exam, ENCOR, tests architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, network assurance, security, and automation and AI. Our reading: much of that is work you learn on the job, so the CCNP pays off once you do it.

Cisco's CCNP tracks include Enterprise, Security, Data Center, Service Provider, Automation and, since March 2026, Wireless (350-101 WLCOR); that month, wireless topics moved out of ENCOR. Pick the track your daily work belongs to.

Best certification for a network administrator

Network administrator is the job title we search in two countries: netzwerkadministrator in Germany and administrator sieci in Poland. Of the 535 German netzwerkadministrator ads on Adzuna in October 2026, the CCNA appeared in 29 and the CCNP in 19. Our advice is the same for administrators: the CCNA first, the CCNP once you run the network. In the US, UK and India we search the network engineer title only, so we have no separate count for administrator ads there.

Best cloud certification for a network engineer

We do not count cloud certifications in network-engineer ads. If your network work is moving to cloud platforms, two associate-level exams fit that move: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate ($150, valid three years, no prerequisite) and Microsoft's Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104), which Microsoft says assumes familiarity with networking and which you renew every 12 months. Our page on cloud engineer certifications counts how often cloud-engineer ads name AWS and Azure credentials.

Each networking credential in one line

• CCNA exam, cost and job-ad data: the first certification to take for network-engineer jobs; one $300 exam, no prerequisite, valid three years.
• CCNP tracks, exams and renewal: for engineers who already work on networks; CCNP Enterprise is two exams for $700, and recertifying it also recertifies an active CCNA.
• CCNA vs CCNP: take the CCNA for a first network job and move up once you run networks yourself.
• CCNA vs Network+: the CCNA for network-engineer jobs, Network+ for the help-desk step after A+.
• IT support certifications: the help-desk stage of the path, with CompTIA A+ and Network+.
• System administrator certifications: the server side of the same teams, with Linux, Microsoft and ITIL credentials.

What certifications do you need to be a network engineer?

You need none by rule: Cisco and CompTIA set no prerequisite for their networking exams. To become a network engineer, you need a first job near the network, and a certification can help you get it. This is the order we suggest, with US exam prices:

1. IT support with network duties. CompTIA A+ is two exams at $274 each, and CompTIA recommends 12 months in an IT-support role. Network+ ($399) is optional here: for a network-engineer goal you can go straight to the CCNA, as our comparison of the CCNA and Network+ explains. In October 2026, Network+ appeared in 163 of the 2,745 US IT-support ads (Adzuna).
2. The CCNA while you work: one exam, $300, no prerequisite. Pearson VUE lists the same $300 voucher in India, before tax.
3. A first network job, on a network team, in a network operations center (NOC) or in a support role where you configure switches and routers.
4. CCNP Enterprise once you run networks: ENCOR ($400) plus one concentration exam ($300) that matches your daily work. Under Cisco's rules, recertifying your highest certification recertifies every lower one, so keeping the CCNP current also keeps an active CCNA current.

If you take the CCNA and both CCNP Enterprise exams in order, the exam fees come to $1,000 in the US, before any retakes. A+ and Network+ add $947 if you take them first. With a budget of about $500, you can pay for one networking exam, not two; for a network-engineer goal, spend it on the CCNA.

The step that certificates cannot replace is the third one. Our count does not record how much experience ads ask for, so we cannot tell you how many of the ads that name the CCNA would hire someone without a network job behind them.

Network engineer certification requirements

None of the four certifications on this path has a required prerequisite. CompTIA gives recommended experience instead (12 months of IT support for A+; A+ plus 9 to 12 months in network support for Network+), and Cisco lists none for the CCNA or CCNP Enterprise. Renewal rules are on the CCNA and CCNP pages.

Entry-level network engineer certification for beginners

For a beginner aiming at network jobs, the CCNA is the certification to start with, and A+ and Network+ are the help-desk steps that can come before it. The table sets out what each one takes.

Source: CompTIA A+ and Network+ pages and US shop, checked October 3, 2026; Cisco CCNA and CCNP Enterprise pages, checked October 3 and 4, 2026. Ad counts: Adzuna, October 2026, out of 9,475 US network-engineer ads.

Cisco also has an entry-level exam below the CCNA: CCST Networking (exam 100-150, $125), which Cisco describes as a first step toward the CCNA. It is optional, and our count does not track it. Outside the US the CCNA price changes: Pearson VUE lists the voucher at £240 in the UK, €285 in Spain, France, Germany and Italy, and $300 in India, Brazil, Mexico and Poland, all before tax.

What do network-engineer ads name besides certificates?

Cisco equipment and firewalls, the two skill words we count. In October 2026, the word cisco appeared in 34% of 9,475 US network-engineer ads and firewall in 31% (Adzuna). In the 658 UK network-engineer ads, cisco appeared in 47% and firewall in 28%. In the 775 Indian ones, cisco appeared in 31% and firewall in 28%; in the 260 Brazilian analista de redes ads, cisco appeared in 26%.

The word cisco also appears inside certification names such as Cisco Certified Network Associate, so the cisco and CCNA counts can overlap. Our reading: an ad that names Cisco is the clearest case for the CCNA, because it is Cisco's own certification. An ad that names firewalls wants someone who can run them, which is part of many network-engineer jobs. If you want to specialize in security, CompTIA Security+ ($439) is CompTIA's next exam, recommended after Network+ and two years in a security or systems-administrator role, and Cisco's CCNP Security track is built on the 350-701 SCOR core exam. Our page on cybersecurity analyst certifications counts Security+ in cybersecurity-analyst ads.

Is a network engineer certification worth it?

A network engineer certification is worth it when the ads you apply to name it. In October 2026, 1,557 of the 9,475 US network-engineer ads named the CCNA, 1,892 the CCNP and 139 Network+ (Adzuna). For someone aiming at those jobs, the CCNA, at $300, is the cheapest of the three; the CCNP's $700 makes sense once you run networks.

We give no pay figure for network engineers. Salary sites report pay by job title, or ask holders to report their own, and neither measures what a certificate adds. Our CCNA page explains what our data can and cannot say about pay.

Two groups can wait. If you already work as a network engineer and the ads you read name no certification, your track record says more than an exam. If your target employers run another vendor's equipment, check whether they name Cisco at all before you pay for a Cisco exam.

Do network engineers need certifications?

No. Cisco and CompTIA set no prerequisite, and an employer decides what to ask for. Our count shows how often ads name each credential; it does not separate required from preferred, so it cannot show how many employers insist on one. What it does show is that, in the US in October 2026, 1,892 network-engineer ads named the CCNP and 1,557 named the CCNA, out of 9,475.

Best certifications for network engineers: what Reddit posters ask

We grouped the questions people post about these certifications on Reddit. Some ask straight out whether a certificate led to a job. One poster asked: "Did passing your CCNA help you land a job?" (r/ccna, September 2026). Our data cannot answer for one person: it shows that 1,557 US network-engineer ads named the CCNA in October 2026, but not whether those employers hire people without network experience.

Others ask about order. A poster halfway through CCNA study asked whether to switch to Network+: "Should I switch when I'm already halfway through CCNA?" (r/ccna, September 2026). For network-engineer jobs, our answer is to finish the CCNA. Another poster weighed going back for an earlier exam: "Is it worth going back to get the network+?" (r/CompTIA, August 2026). If you already hold the CCNA, Network+ is not a prerequisite for the CCNP or for Security+; CompTIA recommends it before Security+ but does not require it. Our CCNA vs Network+ comparison covers both choices in detail.

Timing comes up on r/ccnp: "When should I take CCNP?" (r/ccnp, July 2026). Our CCNA vs CCNP comparison answers that by career stage. After the CCNA, posters also ask what to do next (r/ccna, July 2026), and some ask whether the CCNP Automation track is a good path (r/Cisco, July 2026).

Related roles

We cover four neighboring roles with the same method. IT support is the first step of the path on this page, and system administrators run the servers that sit on the same networks. Our page on security roles covers a move toward security, and our cloud-engineer page a move toward cloud platforms.

Sources

• Adzuna job-ad counts, network-engineer ads in the US, UK, India, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, and Network+ in US IT-support ads, October 2026; analysis: CertWorthIt. How we count.
• Cisco, CCNA exam, CCST Networking exam, CCNP Enterprise, professional certifications, continuing education, ENCOR exam topics and new wireless certifications, checked October 3 to 5, 2026.
• Pearson VUE, Cisco voucher price list, checked October 3, 2026.
• CompTIA, A+, Network+ and Security+, checked October 3, 2026.
• AWS, Solutions Architect – Associate; Microsoft Learn, Azure Administrator Associate, checked October 3, 2026.
• Reddit threads linked in the text, from the questions we collected on r/ccna, r/ccnp, r/CompTIA and r/Cisco.

Edited by Elena Marsh · Data checked October 5, 2026