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Network Engineer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a network engineer is $120,100 per annum, before tax, up $25,100 since 2018.
- Pay moves with the sector and the employer: banks, telecommunications companies and large managed services providers generally sit above the middle, while internal IT teams in smaller organisations often sit below it.
- On-call allowances, penalty rates for after-hours maintenance work and contract day rates all add to the base figure, so a permanent salary and a contractor's rate are not directly comparable.
- Holding a current certification such as CCNP, or a cloud networking specialisation, can shift an offer more than another year of general experience.
The median salary rose by $25,100 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than network engineer
The largest typical pay rise is $11,800 a year, moving into DevOps Engineer.
- DevOps Engineer+$11,800/yr
- Cyber Security Analyst+$7,900/yr
- Systems Administrator+$7,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher network engineer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time network engineer salary is $120,100; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Networks and systems administration and Cyber security tend to command a premium over general network engineer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. DevOps Engineer pays a typical $11,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Network Engineer salary questions
How much do network engineers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a network engineer is $120,100 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is network engineer pay rising or falling?
The median network engineer salary is up $25,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than network engineer?
DevOps Engineer pays a typical $11,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to network engineer.
Related salaries
- Network Architect salary
- Cyber Security Analyst salary
- DevOps Engineer salary
- Systems Administrator salary
- Site Reliability Engineer salary
- IT Support Officer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.