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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Network Engineer

A Network Engineer builds, tests or supports software systems by turning requirements into a working and secure digital product. The assessment separates automation of individual tasks from accountability for the professional outcome.

Low risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

34%2026
38%2028
43%2030
51%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
clarifying requirements and acceptance criteria52%
designing the solution47%
writing or configuring software43%
automated testing38%
diagnosing defects32%
checking security and performance22%
documenting decisions11%
releasing and supporting changes3%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1clarifying requirements and acceptance criteriaAI 52% · human 49%
  2. 2designing the solutionAI 47% · human 57%
  3. 3writing or configuring softwareAI 43% · human 60%
  4. 4automated testingAI 38% · human 61%
  5. 5diagnosing defectsAI 32% · human 56%
  6. 6checking security and performanceAI 22% · human 66%
  7. 7documenting decisionsAI 11% · human 61%
  8. 8releasing and supporting changesAI 3% · human 73%

Why technology can change this work

  • AI systems can already perform part of the information and preparation work
  • full automation is constrained by variable real-world conditions
  • a material share of the job follows stable procedures
  • the main inputs and outputs already exist digitally

What protects the occupation

  • architectural decisions
  • reliability and security accountability
  • business-context understanding

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$11 100per month
2035$16 050scenario estimate
2026: $11 10020262027: $11 55020272028: $12 05020282029: $12 55020292030: $13 10020302031: $13 60020312032: $14 20020322033: $14 80020332034: $15 40020342035: $16 0502035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

AI Engineer

Established resilient role
New role risk13%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit89%

AI Agent Supervisor

Emerging role
New role risk24%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

AI Evaluation Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk16%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Data Analyst

Established resilient role
New role risk51%
DemandMediumDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

Analytics Engineer

Established resilient role
New role risk27%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

AI Security Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit64%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Skills you already have

  • systems thinking
  • programming and development tools
  • test design
  • diagnostics
  • version control
  • information security

Skills to build

  • AI-assisted development
  • generated-code review
  • systems architecture
  • DevSecOps
  • observability
  • AI-model evaluation
CurrentNetwork Engineer · 34%
→
Keepsystems thinking · programming and development tools · test design
→
AddAI-assisted development · generated-code review · systems architecture

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-26 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.