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Entry Level Cisco Network Engineer Jobs in Minnesota

... powers the network insights customers see in Dashboard and feeds product teams, monitoring ... Work with various groups within Cisco to understand their and our customers' data requirements and ...

Software Engineer, Backend

Saint Paul, MN · On-site

$152K - $219K/yr

... powers the network insights customers see in Dashboard and feeds product teams, monitoring ... Work with various groups within Cisco to understand their and our customers' data requirements and ...

Software Engineer, Backend

Edina, MN · On-site

$152K - $219K/yr

... powers the network insights customers see in Dashboard and feeds product teams, monitoring ... Work with various groups within Cisco to understand their and our customers' data requirements and ...

... powers the network insights customers see in Dashboard and feeds product teams, monitoring ... Work with various groups within Cisco to understand their and our customers' data requirements and ...

Network Technician

Saint Paul, MN · On-site

$23.75 - $30.50/hr

... Engineers in diagnosing and troubleshooting network connectivity issues •      Support and communicate about workspace standard power systems and wireless connectivity issues with the ...

We combine deep AI research expertise with the scale and operational excellence of Splunk and Cisco's global engineering capabilities. Our work spans networking, security, observability, and customer ...

We combine deep AI research expertise with the scale and operational excellence of Splunk and Cisco's global engineering capabilities. Our work spans networking, security, observability, and customer ...

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Entry Level Cisco Network Engineer information

See Minnesota salary details

$24

$52

$78

How much do entry level cisco network engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average hourly pay for entry level cisco network engineer in Minnesota is $52.30, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $43.08 and $60.05 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Entry Level Cisco Network Engineer vs Network Support Technician?

AspectEntry Level Cisco Network EngineerNetwork Support Technician
CertificationsCCNA, CompTIA Network+CompTIA A+, Network+
Work EnvironmentNetwork design, configuration, troubleshooting in Cisco environmentsHardware setup, basic troubleshooting, user support
ResponsibilitiesConfigure Cisco routers/switches, assist in network planningMaintain hardware, resolve user issues, perform routine checks

While both roles involve network support, Entry Level Cisco Network Engineers focus on configuring Cisco devices and network design, whereas Network Support Technicians handle hardware maintenance and user support. The former typically requires Cisco certifications like CCNA, and the role is more involved in network architecture, making it suitable for those aiming to specialize in Cisco networking.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Entry Level Cisco Network Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Cisco Network Engineer, you need a solid understanding of networking fundamentals, TCP/IP protocols, and a relevant certification such as Cisco's CCNA. Familiarity with Cisco routers, switches, and network management tools is typically required. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help you troubleshoot issues and collaborate with team members. These skills and qualities are crucial for ensuring reliable network performance and supporting organizational IT needs.

What does an Entry Level Cisco Network Engineer do?

An Entry Level Cisco Network Engineer is responsible for assisting in the design, implementation, and maintenance of network infrastructures using Cisco technologies. Their tasks often include configuring routers and switches, monitoring network performance, troubleshooting connectivity issues, and supporting senior engineers with larger projects. They work to ensure that network systems are efficient, secure, and meet the needs of the organization. Entry level engineers typically have a basic understanding of networking protocols and may hold certifications like Cisco's CCNA.

How to get into network engineering with no experience?

Entry-level Cisco network engineers can start by gaining foundational knowledge through online courses, studying for certifications like Cisco CCNA, and practicing with network simulation tools. Building hands-on experience through labs, internships, or volunteering can also help develop practical skills needed for the role.

What typical challenges do Entry Level Cisco Network Engineers face when transitioning from classroom learning to real-world network environments?

Entry Level Cisco Network Engineers often find that real-world networks are more complex and less predictable than lab scenarios. Common challenges include troubleshooting unexpected network issues, adapting to different hardware models, and managing time-sensitive tasks during outages or upgrades. Additionally, new engineers must quickly learn to document changes accurately and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical team members. Overcoming these challenges requires continuous learning, asking for guidance from experienced colleagues, and being proactive in hands-on troubleshooting.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

While most entry-level Cisco Network Engineers earn significantly less, highly experienced senior engineers with specialized skills, certifications like CCIE, and leadership roles in large organizations can potentially reach or exceed $500,000 annually. Such compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, and stock options, typically in high-cost-of-living areas or large corporations.

How much do network engineers make at Cisco?

Entry-level Cisco network engineers typically earn between $60,000 and $80,000 annually, depending on location and experience. Certifications like CCNA can help increase earning potential, and the role often involves configuring and maintaining Cisco networking equipment in enterprise environments.

What Does an Entry-Level Cisco Network Engineer Do?

Entry-level Cisco network engineers work alongside experienced Cisco network engineers to install hardware and software, plan the growth of a network, and develop the systems necessary for a company to monitor and transmit its data. In this role, you may train to troubleshoot problems for users, write up processes and procedures for others to follow, improve network connectivity and stability, and exercise good judgment to escalate issues to senior engineers as needed. As an entry-level employee, your main job is to learn more about managing a Cisco network at your company, so you typically work under the supervision of a senior engineer as you develop your skills.

What are common entry-level job titles at Cisco?

Common entry-level job titles at Cisco for network engineers include Network Technician, Network Support Engineer, and Associate Network Engineer. These roles typically involve supporting network infrastructure, troubleshooting issues, and working with Cisco networking equipment, often requiring basic knowledge of networking protocols and certifications like Cisco CCNA.
What are the most commonly searched types of Cisco Network Engineer jobs in Minnesota? The most popular types of Cisco Network Engineer jobs in Minnesota are:
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Infographic showing various Entry Level Cisco Network Engineer job openings in Minnesota as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 15% Locum Tenens, 76% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $108,794 per year, or $52.3 per hour.
Software Engineer, Backend

Software Engineer, Backend

Cisco

Minneapolis, MN • On-site

$152K - $219K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 9 hours ago


Cisco Systems rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 42 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

53rd of 155 rated electronics manufacturers


Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 08/05/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team

The Time Series Data (TSD) team builds andoperatesthe time-series database andsupportingsoftware components that store and serve the telemetry behind Cisco Meraki's Dashboard. Our infrastructure ingests and serves millions of data points per second from a fleet holding petabytes of telemetry-data that powers the network insights customers see in Dashboard and feeds product teams, monitoring, analytics, and data lakes across Cisco.

We'rea small, expert team that owns this software end to end, holds itself to a high bar, and takes an observability-driven approach to high-impact work in areas like reliability, high availability, business continuity, performance, and scalability. This role suits someone who wants to go deep on core data infrastructure in C++, take on real responsibility, and learn from the engineers around them.

Your Impact

As a member of the Time Series Data team, you will develop, scale, andmaintainthe platforms and services which sustain several Cisco services and data platforms, including the flagship Meraki Dashboard product. You will work with many different people within Engineering and throughout Cisco to help build the infrastructure and data pipelines to power their data-driven decisions.

In this role you can expect to:

  • Design, build, ship, analyze, andmaintainscalable, distributed, enterprise software solutions that support the services which record and consume telemetry data.

  • Build andmaintainbackend components using C++ in a Linux environment.

  • Focus on increasing reliability, performance, scalability, testability, maintainability, observability, and developer experience.

  • Work with various groups within Cisco to understand their and our customers' data requirements and requests.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Distributed Systems:Experience analyzing, scaling, troubleshooting, and debugging distributed systems.

  • C++ Development:Experience developing software using C++11 or newer standards.

  • CI/CD & Containerization:Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines (GitLab or GitHub) and deploying applications using containerization and Kubernetes.

  • Database Management:Experience designing and querying relational databases using SQL (PostgreSQL or MySQL).

  • Development Lifecycle:Experienceutilizingautomated testing frameworks and LLM-based coding assistants within the software development lifecycle.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Programming experience in Rust, Scala, Python.

  • Experience with observability tooling such asOpenTelemetry, Prometheus, Grafana.

  • Experience with feature flagging tools such as Launch Darkly.

  • Experiencemaintainingdatabase software.

  • Experience or willingness toworkingin an agile environment (Scrum, Kanban, etc.).

  • Able to comment on the difference between 'prompt engineering', 'context engineering', and 'agentic engineering'.

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we're revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We've been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you'll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:The starting salary range posted for this position is $152,500.00 to $219,200.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco's plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco's policies:

  • 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

  • 1 paid day off for employee's birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

  • Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

  • Exempt employees participate in Cisco's flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

  • 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto the next

  • Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

  • Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

  • .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

  • 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

  • 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

  • Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$152,500.00 - $252,000.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$135,800.00 - $224,400.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.


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About Cisco Systems

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Cisco Systems, a global tech titan based in San Jose, CA, US, operates in the information technology and services industry. Founded in 1984, the company was derived from a project between two computer scientists from Stanford University. They aimed to connect different networks of computer systems at the university, resulting in the first multi-protocol router, and subsequently, the birth of Cisco. As an industry-leading manufacturer of networking hardware and telecommunications equipment, Cisco's product and services range includes routers, switches, firewall devices, and telecommunication technology. The company's mission, "to shape the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors, and ecosystem partners," is a testament to its pursuit of technology-forward innovation and customer satisfaction.

Industry

Computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

San Jose, CA, US

Year founded

1984

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