Over the past three years, network support staff have constituted a larger proportion of the IT staff. While the initial surge in remote work has stabilized and the use of advanced technologies has increased, hybrid work models remain prevalent. Consequently, the need for robust IT infrastructure and cybersecurity measures persists.
As shown in Figure 1 from our full report, Network Support Staffing Ratios, network support staffing has resumed its upward trend after a significant decrease in 2022. The ratio increased from 5.3% in 2023 to 6.2% in 2024.
The demand for network support staffing has been shaped by a combination of technological evolution and changing workplace dynamics. Prior to the pandemic, migration to cloud computing, rollout of 5G technology, proliferation of IoT devices, rise of edge computing, and implementation of software-defined networking were key factors. These innovations introduced more complex and dynamic network environments, requiring skilled professionals to manage and maintain them.
In the post-pandemic era, the shift toward hybrid work models has further intensified this need, as organizations strive to ensure seamless and secure connectivity for both remote and in-office employees. At the same time, the integration of automation and AI has become essential for enabling real-time analytics and improving network efficiency. Compounding these demands is the growing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, which has underscored the importance of robust network security and the need for highly specialized network personnel.
“While legacy drivers like cloud and IoT still influence network staffing, today’s landscape demands faster, more resilient networks,” said Waynelle John, research analyst at Avasant, based in Los Angeles. “Network professionals now go beyond maintenance to enable innovation and future-proofing operations.”
In our study, network support staff includes personnel with titles of network engineer, architect, administrator, technician, specialist, or analyst for voice and data networks. The network support staff head count does not include managers but encompasses supervisors and senior-level personnel.
Our full report will help IT managers determine whether their organization is keeping pace with improvements in network management by comparing their network support staffing ratios against industry benchmarks. We provide four benchmarks: network support staff as a percentage of the IT staff, network support staff as a percentage of the Network and Communications Group, users per network support staff member, and network devices per network support staff member. We provide benchmarks for the composite sample and by sector and organization size. We conclude with recommendations for optimizing the cost of network support staff.
This Research Byte is a brief overview of our report on this subject, Network Support Staffing Ratios. The full report is available at no charge for subscribers.