Tech Industry Gold Standard
Networks
Connectivity
Capability Matrix
Digital Highways & Comms
Networking is the plumbing of the digital age. Without secure, reliable connectivity, no other technology works. From fibre optics to 5G, this matrix explores the foundations of communication.
Introduction
TechSkills is a techUK company and is the accreditation body for Tech Industry Gold – the employer-led accreditation for tech education and training. The TechSkills Careers Matrix has been developed against the SSC Standard Skills Classification (SSC) to provide a consistent framework for understanding digital career pathways and the skills employers need. We created these resources to help learners, parents and careers advisers make informed education and career decisions, supporting our mission to close digital skills gaps and prepare people for successful, job-ready careers in tech.
The Eight Domains of Networking
Network Engineering
Designing and managing the routers, switches, and firewalls of major organisations.
Salary Progression
£27,000 — £85,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Junior Network Engineer to Network Architect medians; ONS ASHE median £45,079, IT network professionals)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Network Engineer • NOC Analyst • Network Architect • LAN/WAN Specialist
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to design and maintain the routing and switching infrastructure an entire organisation depends on."
Best Suited To
Analytical minds who enjoy the 'plumbing' and flow of digital information.
Telecommunications (5G)
The world of wireless, mobile, and next-gen cellular connectivity.
Salary Progression
£32,500 — £87,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Field Telecoms Engineer median to RF Engineer/Core Network Engineer range; ONS ASHE median £39,652, telecoms network installers)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Telecoms Engineer • Radio Planning Eng • Field Engineer • Core Network Eng
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to plan and deploy wireless network coverage that meets real-world capacity demands."
Best Suited To
Innovators interested in mobile tech and the future of wireless comms.
Digital Infrastructure (Fibre)
The physical world of fibre-optic cables that link cities and continents.
Salary Progression
£28,500 — £91,500+ (IT Jobs Watch: Fibre Engineer range; Submarine Cable Engineer, ERI Economic Research Institute — no IT Jobs Watch page for this niche title)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Fibre Technician • Planning Officer • Submarine Cable Eng
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to plan, splice and test physical fibre links that carry a network's traffic."
Best Suited To
Practical problem solvers who enjoy hands-on work in the field.
IoT & Wireless Tech
Connecting billions of smart devices, from meters to satellites.
Salary Progression
£37,000 — £80,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Communications Engineer median used as proxy for Satellite Comm Engineer, no dedicated listing; IoT Architect and Wireless Network Engineer range)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
IoT Solutions Arch • Wireless Specialist • Satellite Comm Eng
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to connect and manage large fleets of low-power, low-bandwidth devices reliably."
Best Suited To
Developers interested in the intersection of hardware and networking.
Software Defined (SDN)
The modern way of managing networks via code rather than physical cables.
Salary Progression
£52,500 — £85,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Software-Defined Networking keyword median; Cloud Network Engineer and Senior Network Architect range)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
NetDevOps Engineer • SDN Architect • Cloud Networking
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to manage and reconfigure a network's behaviour through code rather than physical changes."
Best Suited To
Coders who want to build the 'intelligence' into the network.
Emerging Tech
Pioneering the next wave, from Quantum Comms to 6G.
Salary Progression
£60,000 — £110,000+ (no IT Jobs Watch page exists for these niche/speculative titles; proxied via Research Engineer and Research Scientist medians, IT Jobs Watch; UK quantum professionals reported £70,000–£110,000, Quantum Jobs List industry survey)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Quantum Comms Eng • 6G Researcher • Mesh Network Arch
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to prototype and evaluate next-generation communications technology ahead of standardisation."
Best Suited To
Researchers who want to build what doesn't exist yet.
Network Security & Access Control
Defending the network layer itself, not just what runs on it
Salary Progression
£46,000 — £102,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Network Security Engineer and Firewall Engineer medians; Security Architect used as proxy for Zero Trust Architect)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Network Security Engineer • Firewall Administrator • Zero Trust Architect • VPN Specialist
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to design access controls that stop an attacker moving laterally once inside the perimeter."
Best Suited To
Defensive thinkers who enjoy building barriers attackers can't get past.
Enterprise & Unified Communications
Connecting people, not just devices, across an organisation
Salary Progression
£32,750 — £70,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: VoIP Engineer England range; Unified Communications Engineer median — no dedicated listing for Collaboration Platform Lead/Contact Centre Engineer)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
UC Engineer • VoIP Specialist • Collaboration Platform Lead • Contact Centre Engineer
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to keep voice, video and collaboration tools running reliably for a whole organisation."
Best Suited To
Practical engineers who enjoy making complex comms systems feel simple to use.
Connecting the World
The Future of Comms
From 6G to Quantum comms, the future of networking is being written today. This matrix will evolve with it.
"Technology defines our future — people who master it define our success."
Specific Career Pathways:
Networks & Connectivity
Mapping the common routes and professional progressions in this family.
Network Engineering
Designing and managing the routers, switches, and firewalls of major organisations.
Entry Roles
Network Engineer • NOC Analyst • Network Architect • LAN/WAN Specialist
Core Skills
• CCNA/CCNP • • Routing/Switching • • OSPF/BGP • • Firewalls • • Python
Professional Outlook
Analytical minds who enjoy the 'plumbing' and flow of digital information.
Market Salary
£27,000 — £85,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Junior Network Engineer to Network Architect medians; ONS ASHE median £45,079, IT network professionals)
Telecommunications (5G)
The world of wireless, mobile, and next-gen cellular connectivity.
Entry Roles
Telecoms Engineer • Radio Planning Eng • Field Engineer • Core Network Eng
Core Skills
• LTE/5G NR • • RF Engineering • • Wireless Planning • • MIMO • • SDN
Professional Outlook
Innovators interested in mobile tech and the future of wireless comms.
Market Salary
£32,500 — £87,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Field Telecoms Engineer median to RF Engineer/Core Network Engineer range; ONS ASHE median £39,652, telecoms network installers)
Digital Infrastructure (Fibre)
The physical world of fibre-optic cables that link cities and continents.
Entry Roles
Fibre Technician • Planning Officer • Submarine Cable Eng
Core Skills
• Splicing • • OTDR Testing • • Civil Works • • Fibre Planning • • GIS
Professional Outlook
Practical problem solvers who enjoy hands-on work in the field.
Market Salary
£28,500 — £91,500+ (IT Jobs Watch: Fibre Engineer range; Submarine Cable Engineer, ERI Economic Research Institute — no IT Jobs Watch page for this niche title)
IoT & Wireless Tech
Connecting billions of smart devices, from meters to satellites.
Entry Roles
IoT Solutions Arch • Wireless Specialist • Satellite Comm Eng
Core Skills
• LoRaWAN • • Zigbee • • Bluetooth LE • • LPWAN • • MQTT
Professional Outlook
Developers interested in the intersection of hardware and networking.
Market Salary
£37,000 — £80,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Communications Engineer median used as proxy for Satellite Comm Engineer, no dedicated listing; IoT Architect and Wireless Network Engineer range)
Software Defined (SDN)
The modern way of managing networks via code rather than physical cables.
Entry Roles
NetDevOps Engineer • SDN Architect • Cloud Networking
Core Skills
• Python/Go • • SD-WAN • • API Design • • Linux • • NetDevOps
Professional Outlook
Coders who want to build the 'intelligence' into the network.
Market Salary
£52,500 — £85,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Software-Defined Networking keyword median; Cloud Network Engineer and Senior Network Architect range)
Emerging Tech
Pioneering the next wave, from Quantum Comms to 6G.
Entry Roles
Quantum Comms Eng • 6G Researcher • Mesh Network Arch
Core Skills
• Quantum Crypto • • 6G Research • • HAP (High Altitude) • • Mesh Nets
Professional Outlook
Researchers who want to build what doesn't exist yet.
Market Salary
£60,000 — £110,000+ (no IT Jobs Watch page exists for these niche/speculative titles; proxied via Research Engineer and Research Scientist medians, IT Jobs Watch; UK quantum professionals reported £70,000–£110,000, Quantum Jobs List industry survey)
Network Security & Access Control
Defending the network layer itself, not just what runs on it
Entry Roles
Network Security Engineer • Firewall Administrator • Zero Trust Architect • VPN Specialist
Core Skills
• Firewalls and VPNs • • Zero Trust Architecture • • Network Segmentation • • Access Control
Professional Outlook
Defensive thinkers who enjoy building barriers attackers can't get past.
Market Salary
£46,000 — £102,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: Network Security Engineer and Firewall Engineer medians; Security Architect used as proxy for Zero Trust Architect)
Enterprise & Unified Communications
Connecting people, not just devices, across an organisation
Entry Roles
UC Engineer • VoIP Specialist • Collaboration Platform Lead • Contact Centre Engineer
Core Skills
• VoIP/SIP • • Video Conferencing Platforms • • Contact Centre Tech • • QoS Management
Professional Outlook
Practical engineers who enjoy making complex comms systems feel simple to use.
Market Salary
£32,750 — £70,000+ (IT Jobs Watch: VoIP Engineer England range; Unified Communications Engineer median — no dedicated listing for Collaboration Platform Lead/Contact Centre Engineer)
Typical Day-to-Day
- Solving technical puzzles
- Collaborating with teammates
- Building reliable solutions
- Continuous learning of new tools
- Presenting insights to stakeholders
- Securing and optimizing systems
Entry Pathways
Academic Route
Degrees, T-Levels, HTQs
Vocational Route
Apprenticeships, Bootcamps
Industry-Led AccreditationEnquiries
info@techskills.org