Is the Cisco CCNP worth it? What 392 job postings say
392 open job postings from 162 employers name Cisco CCNP. 37% require it; the rest list it as a nice-to-have. It's asked for most in networking jobs, where 32% of postings name it.
37% of the 392 postings that name it require it. It signals experience: 95% of the postings that state a level are senior or above.
- Employers name it
- 16215th of 40 we track
- Require it
- 37%of postings that name it
- Level
- ProfessionalCisco: “Professional”
- Exam fee
- $400 + concentration examofficial price
- Valid for
- 3 yearsthen renew
Who should take it?
Built from what the 392 postings ask for, not from opinions.
Take it if you…
- aim at networking jobsNamed in 32% of networking postings
- target employers that screen for it37% of the postings that name it require it
- already have years in the field95% of these postings are senior or above
Skip it (for now) if you…
- want it to land your first jobOnly 3% of the postings that name it are junior or intern roles
Recognition: recognised by a narrower set of employers, 15th of 40 by the number of employers that name it (162). We can't yet measure whether Cisco CCNP gets a particular person hired: that needs outcomes from people who earned it.
How much it counts in each kind of job
Share of each job family's postings that name Cisco CCNP, and how many of those require it.
Job titles
Cisco CCNP shows up most in Network Engineer, Network Security Engineer and Network Administrator postings. Ranked by the number of different employers, so one big hirer can't fill the list.
| Job (level and location removed) | Employers | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Network Engineer | 58 | 75 |
| Network Security Engineer | 12 | 12 |
| Network Administrator | 4 | 4 |
| Sales Engineer | 3 | 28 |
| Solutions Engineer | 3 | 7 |
| Network Specialist | 3 | 5 |
| Network Development Engineer | 3 | 4 |
| Systems Engineer | 3 | 3 |
Required or a plus?
How the 392 postings that name Cisco CCNP ask for it.
Who it's for: seniority
Level stated in the job title, 195 postings.
Who asks for it
Employers with the most postings
- Zscaler · 31
- Verkada · 23
- Computer World Services · 17
- AGE Solutions · 14
- SpaceX · 11
- Agile Defense · 10
- Meter · 9
- GuidePoint Security · 7
- Netskope · 7
- Saronic Technologies · 7
Where the jobs are
39% are fully remote (of 183 postings that say).
69% of the postings are in the United States: the job boards we read lean towards US tech companies, so other markets are under-represented.
What these jobs pay
Advertised US base pay in postings that name Cisco CCNP and publish a salary range (163 postings).
Often asked for together
Other certifications named in the same postings as Cisco CCNP.
Share of the postings that name Cisco CCNP. Postings often list several certifications as alternatives (“CISSP, CISM or equivalent”).
Compared with similar certifications
Cisco CCNA is named by more employers.
| Certification | Level | Exam fee | Employers | Required | Senior or above | Junior or intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco CCNA | Associate | $300 | 197 | 35% | 83% | 11% |
| Cisco CCNP | Professional | $400 + concentration exam | 162 | 37% | 95% | 3% |
| Cisco CCIE | Expert | $2,000 (core + lab) | 85 | 37% | 100% | 0% |
Exam and requirements
CCNP Enterprise: core exam ENCOR 350-401 plus one concentration exam. From the official Cisco pages, checked 14 November 2026. Formats change: confirm before you book.
What the exam covers
Share of the exam, from the official exam outline.
What it costs
- Exam
- $400 for the core exam, plus the concentration exam
Official prices only. Courses, practice tests and retakes come on top; their prices vary too much between providers to average.
Sources: Cisco: ENCOR v1.2 exam topics, Cisco: ENCOR exam, Cisco certification exams.
How we count
- Source. 199,799 unique open postings from company job boards on Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, crawled November 2026.
- Named only. A posting counts when it names Cisco CCNP, not the bare word “certified”. Certifications offered as a benefit (“we pay for your exam”) don't count.
- Required or a plus. Read from the section and the sentence the mention sits in.
- Checked by hand. In 150 random matches the extractor had never seen, 148 named the right certification and 147 had the right type.
- Minimum sample. Seniority, locations and pay are shown only with at least 30 postings behind them.
- Limits. A posting is what an employer asks for, not who they hire. The boards lean towards tech companies and the US.
FAQ
Is Cisco CCNP worth it in 2026?
It depends on the job you're aiming at. 162 employers name it in 392 open postings, most often in networking (32% of that family's postings). 37% require it. For those jobs it can decide whether your application gets past the first screen.
Will Cisco CCNP help me get an entry-level job?
Rarely on its own. Only 3% of the postings that name it and state a level are junior or intern roles; 95% are senior, lead or staff. Employers treat it as a mark of experience, not a way in.
How much do jobs that ask for Cisco CCNP pay?
US postings that name it and publish a salary advertise a median base pay of $170K (middle half $130K–$190K, 163 postings). Compared with a job without a certification at the same company, same job family and level, they advertise 16% less. That's what the job pays, not what the certificate adds.
Which certifications are asked for together with Cisco CCNP?
Most often Cisco CCNA (named in 46% of the same postings), CISSP (named in 34% of the same postings) and Cisco CCIE (named in 33% of the same postings).
What is on the Cisco CCNP exam?
The official outline weights infrastructure (30%), security (20%) and architecture (15%) most.
Does Cisco CCNP expire?
3 years.
How much does Cisco CCNP cost?
CCNP Enterprise: core exam ENCOR 350-401 plus one concentration exam: $400 for the core exam, plus the concentration exam, according to the official page as of 14 November 2026. Prices change, so check before you pay.
Not sure a certification is your gap?
See all 40 certifications side by side, or check the skills employers in your target role ask for.