How Automation is Changing the Career Path of Entry-Level Network Engineers

There was a time when a CCNA certification meant one thing: you knew how to configure routers and switches. Today, that same certification is becoming the entry point into a much larger world — one where automation, programmability, and software-defined networking are redefining what it means to be a network engineer.

If you're preparing for or already holding a CCNA, this shift isn't a threat. It's one of the biggest career opportunities the networking industry has ever seen.

Why Automation Is Now Part of the Networking Conversation

Traditional networking was largely manual. Network Engineers would log into individual devices, type commands line by line, and repeat the same configurations across dozens — sometimes hundreds — of machines. This worked, but it was slow, error-prone, and difficult to scale.

As enterprise networks grew in complexity, the industry needed a smarter approach. That's where automation stepped in. Automation in networking means using scripts, tools, or platforms to perform repetitive network tasks without human intervention every single time. Think of it like setting up a coffee machine the night before — you define what you want, and it executes without you standing there each morning.

Cisco recognized this shift early and redesigned the CCNA curriculum in 2020 to include automation and programmability as core knowledge areas. This wasn't cosmetic. It was a direct response to what the industry demands.

What CCNA Engineers Are Now Expected to Know

The updated CCNA exam covers topics like Python scripting basics, REST APIs, network automation tools like Ansible, and Cisco's own DNA Center platform. These might sound intimidating at first, but they're introduced at a foundational level — enough to understand the concepts and begin applying them in real environments.

A REST API, for example, is simply a way for software to communicate with network devices over the internet using standard web protocols. Instead of typing a command directly into a router, an engineer can send an API request from a script that configures the device automatically. This is exactly how modern cloud environments and enterprise networks operate.

Understanding these concepts gives CCNA-certified engineers a bridge between traditional networking and the modern, software-driven infrastructure that companies are actively building.

Real-World Impact: What This Looks Like on the Job

Imagine you're a junior network engineer at a mid-sized company. Your team needs to push a configuration update to 80 branch routers across the country. In the old model, this would take days of manual work with the constant risk of human error. With automation, a well-written Ansible playbook — a set of pre-defined instructions — can push that update to all 80 devices in minutes, with consistent results every time.

This is not a hypothetical. This is the daily reality at companies running large-scale networks. Engineers who understand automation are the ones leading these projects. And increasingly, even entry-level roles expect candidates to have at least a conceptual understanding of how these tools work.

For anyone serious about building this foundation the right way, a structured CCNA Automation course by PyNet Labs that integrates both traditional networking and automation topics can make this transition much smoother.

The Scope Expansion Beyond Traditional Networking

Here's where it gets genuinely exciting. Because CCNA engineers now learn automation concepts, their potential career paths have expanded well beyond the traditional "network admin" role.

Engineers with CCNA knowledge combined with automation skills are moving into roles like Network Automation Engineer, Cloud Network Engineer, DevNet Associate (Cisco's dedicated developer-network certification), and even infrastructure-as-code roles that sit at the intersection of networking and software development.

Companies building hybrid cloud environments — where some infrastructure runs on-site and some runs in the cloud — desperately need people who understand both how networks function at a protocol level and how to manage them through code. A CCNA gives you the protocol knowledge. Automation gives you the modern toolkit.

Addressing a Common Concern: "Do I Need to Become a Programmer?"

This is one of the most frequently asked questions, and the honest answer is no — not fully. You don't need to write production-level software code. What you do need is enough programming literacy to read a Python script, understand what it does, and modify basic parameters.

Think of it like driving a car. You don't need to be a mechanic to drive well. But knowing how the engine works makes you a better, more informed driver. Similarly, CCNA engineers don't need to become software developers. They need to be network professionals who are comfortable working alongside automation tools and, when necessary, writing simple scripts to solve real problems.

This is a learnable skill set, and the CCNA curriculum now provides the starting point.

Conclusion

Automation is not replacing CCNA engineers — it's elevating them. The engineers who embrace this shift are finding themselves in more strategic roles, handling larger responsibilities, and commanding stronger salaries than those who stick to purely manual skillsets.

The core strength of a CCNA — a deep, protocol-level understanding of how networks actually work — hasn't lost its value. If anything, it's become more valuable because automation tools still need people who truly understand the networks they're managing.

The scope of what a CCNA engineer can do in 2026 and beyond is broader than it has ever been. The question is simply whether you're ready to grow with it.