Network Engineer.
Honolulu.
$164,000
median salary, 26% above the national average
$129,000 to $207,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Network Engineer in Honolulu earns a median of $164,000 in 2026. That is 26% above the national average. The range runs from $129,000 to $207,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. CCIE certification remains the single largest salary differentiator, adding 20 to 30% to base pay. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Network Engineer in Honolulu, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $104,350 for Computer Network Architects (SOC 15-1241) in the Urban Honolulu, HI metropolitan area, based on 290 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$78,980
25th percentile
$81,610
Median
$104,350
75th percentile
$135,220
90th percentile
$165,870
Workers surveyed
290
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $164,000 is 57% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Computer Network Architects covers a different population than the Network Engineer title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Computer Network Architects (SOC 15-1241) rather than Network Engineer specifically. The Honolulu range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1241Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $147,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$107,000
to $131,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$139,000
to $172,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$180,000
to $213,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$205,000
to $254,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $38,000 to the total package.
Base
$164,000
Equity
$21,000
Bonus
$14,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $202,000
How Honolulu compares.
Honolulu, HI
$164,000
Cost of living: 30% above average
National Average
$130,000
Honolulu is $34,000 above
Network Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Honolulu.
What you should know.
The Network Engineer landscape in Honolulu is not what most salary sites will tell you. Honolulu's economy is driven by military spending, tourism, and healthcare. The extremely high cost of living means employers must pay significant premiums. Federal and defense contractor roles offer the highest salaries, while the growing renewable energy sector is creating new technology positions. CCIE certification remains the single largest salary differentiator, adding 20 to 30% to base pay. Engineers managing SD-WAN rollouts, hybrid cloud networking, or large-scale data center fabrics command premium rates. Telecom and financial services sectors consistently offer the highest compensation for network specialists.
Help desk and NOC technicians start at $50,000 to $65,000, advancing to network engineer at $78,000 to $135,000 in three to five years. Senior network architects earn $140,000 to $180,000, and director of network engineering roles reach $185,000 to $240,000. In Honolulu, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 30% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Bonuses of 8 to 15% are standard, with on-call stipends adding $5,000 to $12,000 annually. Employers frequently cover CCIE lab fees and ongoing Cisco or Juniper certification renewals as part of retention packages. And on the tax side: hawaii has the highest top state income tax rate in the nation at 11%. Honolulu has no city income tax, but the state burden combined with high living costs requires careful salary planning. When someone quotes you $164,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate housing allowances alongside salary. Honolulu employers, especially federal contractors, often provide COLA adjustments and housing stipends that significantly increase total compensation. The range for Network Engineers in Honolulu runs from $129,000 to $207,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Network Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Honolulu.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Network Engineer Salary in Honolulu, HI." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/network-engineer/honolulu
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