CCNA VS CCNP – Difference, Career Path, Job Opportunities and Salary
We all are already aware about IT fields and networking and the way how networking has made its place in the market. Networking certifications are gaining more and more popularity over last decade. As this is the time for many freshers to start their career after completing their 12th or graduation. So, let’s share some information about entry level certification or Associate level certification which could help them in starting their career.
CCNA and CCNP are one of the most popular certifications in the information technology field. Today, most candidates are pursuing Cisco certification in order to get good job opportunities in the IT industry. Cisco certification has different options, such as CCNP, CCNA and CCIE. But in this article we will be discussing about CCNP and CCNA.
You might be confused about which certification to take right? Let’s help you to deal with your problems.
CCNA (CISCO Certified Network Associate)
CCNA which stands for Cisco certified network Associate is an entry level certification. This article is mainly for discussing about scopes after completing CCNA certification. In the IT sector, there is a strong scope for networking professionals. Companies are searching for professionals who can handle their computer networks.
It will definitely enhance candidate’s knowledge and understanding of the core networking concepts. Those candidates who are working in the IT industries also find training beneficial.
Cisco CCNA certified candidates can demand hike in their salary. Nowadays, several industries are looking for the certified CCNA professionals for their complex networking projects. Being a CCNA certified, you will get promotions easily.
CCNA Career Path
Whether you are fresher to the IT field or have some experience, you’ll have to start with the associate level Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification. Earlier there were approximately 11 certifications but now they all have combined and formed a single certification. Now only pursuing a single CCNA will make you an all rounder.
Job roles offered to a CCNA Certified
Some popular Job Roles for a CCNA Certified Professional are given below:
- Network Engineer
- System Administrator
- Network Technician
- Network Associate
- System Engineer
- Network Support Engineer
Prerequisites
There are no formal requirements but candidates are recommended to have an understanding of the exam topics before taking the exam.
- You should have 1+ years of experience in implementing and administering Cisco solutions
- Knowledge of basic IP addressing
- A good understanding of network fundamentals
CCNP – CISCO Certified Network Professional
CCNP stands for Cisco certified network professional is a professional level certification of Cisco. You need to pass 2 exams for each track:
- A technology core exam – covers foundational and common concepts
- A concentration exam – a deeper dive into the technology
CCNP Career Path
You can customize your professional-level certification by picking a core track and with a concentration exam of your interest. The CCNP certification can only be received after Core and one concentration certification exam is complete. CCNP examination has 5 domains which you can choose for yourself which are given below:
- CCNP Enterprise
- CCNP Collaboration
- CCNP Data Center
- CCNP Security
- CCNP Service Provider
Job roles offered to a CCNP Certified
Some popular Job Roles for a CCNP Certified Professional are given below:
-
- Senior Network Engineer
- Network Specialist
- Network manager
Prerequisites
There are no formal requirements for CCNP Enterprise, but candidates are recommended to have a good knowledge of the exam topics before taking the exam.
CCNP candidates often also have three to five years of working experience in implementing enterprise networking solutions.
Difference between CCNA and CCNP
| Key Features | CCNA | CCNP |
| Abbreviation | CISCO Certified Network Associate | CISCO Certified Network Professional |
| Certification level | Associate | Professional |
| Prerequisites | NIL | NIL |
| Examination Modules | One Exam | One main Core Exam, and one exam from 6 concentration Exams |
| Examination Code | 200-301 | (300-401 core)
300-410, 300-415, 300-420, 300-425, 300-430, 300-435 |
| Examination Fees | USD 195 | USD 400 for Core Exam, USD 300 for concentration exam |
| Job Type | Network Engineer, Network Analyst | Network Specialist, Senior Network Engineer Network Manager, Sr. Network Engineer |
| Skills-set Requirement | Basic Level of Configuring Routers and Switches | Advanced Level of Configuring Routers, Switches and Troubleshooting |
| Prospective Career Options | Freshers/One or two years experienced | Fresher, 3-5 years experienced professionals |
So, this table will give you a brief knowledge of differences between CCNA and CCNP. If you are interested in field like networking you need to start with CCNA, an associate level certification but if talking about salary differences After pursuing CCNA training it takes you to different career path such as Helpdesk Engineer, Network Technician, Network Support Engineer, Service Desk Engineer, and others. However, the CCNP certifications offer the maximum salary when compared to the CCNA certifications. So you can choose the CCNP to earn a high salary.
The first certification which was introduced by Cisco was junior and professional network Cisco certification. As per the demand and the increased technology Cisco has increased its certification from Associate level certifications to expert level certification especially with updated syllabus and also offered a large number of certifications for each level of candidates. These certifications help you to develop or increase the routing base and network.
Conclusion
Both the certification has its own value and equally certified but if you see the difference on salary basic obviously the hand will be going on CCNP but for that you need equally experience and should follow the prerequisite for the certification and qualify them. Rest if you are fresher and need to make a start in Networking field you have to start with CCNA as it is the base or an Associate level or entry level examination. The main of the candidate will be made through the entry level certification. Choose the best for yourself and give your best. All the best for a new journey.