Exchange connectivity, colocation and the physical path
Network and Infrastructure Engineer salary
A network and infrastructure engineer at a trading firm builds and runs exchange connectivity, colocation footprint, switching, time synchronisation and the physical path market data travels. New York total compensation typically runs from about $150,000 at entry level to $450,000 or more for senior engineers owning multi-venue connectivity.
Live vacancies
0
Employers hiring
0
Market guides
17
Seniority bands
4
How much does a network and infrastructure engineer earn?
A network and infrastructure engineer at a trading firm builds and runs exchange connectivity, colocation footprint, switching, time synchronisation and the physical path market data travels. New York total compensation typically runs from about $150,000 at entry level to $450,000 or more for senior engineers owning multi-venue connectivity.
KnowQuant research desk·Updated 1 September 2026·4 seniority bands across 17 hub markets·Method 2026.1
Live demand for this function
We price this function but do not count it as a separate category in the live job book, so there is no vacancy figure to publish here. Search the live roles at tracked firms to see what is genuinely open today; the pay bands below are modelled and dated separately.
New York reference market, US dollars. Base salary and total compensation.
Network and Infrastructure Engineer compensation by seniority in New York, September 2026
Level
Experience
Base
Total comp
Engineer
0-3 yrs
$105k – $150k
$150k – $240k
Senior Engineer
3-6 yrs
$140k – $195k
$200k – $350k
Lead Engineer
6-10 yrs
$175k – $240k
$280k – $480k
Head of Infrastructure
10+ yrs
$205k – $290k
$360k – $700k
About the role
This function is where trading infrastructure stops being abstract. The work covers cross-connects, venue certification, multicast design, precision timing and hardware lifecycle across multiple data centres, often with travel to sites. It overlaps with low-latency engineering but is distinct: the latency specialist optimises the software and hardware path, while this seat owns the estate the path runs on. Firms with heavy colocation footprints pay materially above the general network-engineering market.
Skills firms hire for
Networking and multicast
Exchange connectivity
PTP time sync
Linux
Automation
Data centre operations
Typical backgrounds
-Network engineers from telecoms or exchanges
-Data centre and infrastructure specialists
-Systems engineers with hardware experience
-Military or industrial communications backgrounds
Sourced answers to the questions people bring to this page, each with the figure, the date and the caveat.
How much does a network and infrastructure engineer earn?
A network and infrastructure engineer at a trading firm builds and runs exchange connectivity, colocation footprint, switching, time synchronisation and the physical path market data travels. New York total compensation typically runs from about $150,000 at entry level to $450,000 or more for senior engineers owning multi-venue connectivity. The New York band runs $150k – $700k in annual total compensation, with a modelled reference estimate of $250k. Figures are base salary plus expected performance bonus, excluding sign-on, deferred equity and carry.
What does a network and infrastructure engineer earn at entry level?
An entry hire (Engineer, 0-3 years) is typically offered $105k to $150k in base salary and $150k to $240k in total compensation in New York. At the senior end (Head of Infrastructure, 10+ years) total compensation reaches $700k.
Where is the best-paid market for a network and infrastructure engineer?
New York leads on headline modelled total compensation at $250k, with London at £168k. Both are modelled reference estimates for the role, not observed medians. Bands are shown in each market's local currency across 17 hub markets, so tax treatment and cost of living still change the net picture materially.
What skills do firms hire network engineers for?
The recurring requirements are Networking and multicast, Exchange connectivity, PTP time sync, Linux, Automation. Typical backgrounds are network engineers from telecoms or exchanges, data centre and infrastructure specialists, systems engineers with hardware experience.
How many network engineers roles are open right now?
No network and infrastructure engineer vacancies are classified as open in the index at this moment. Counts are rebuilt from employer career pages rather than reposted listings, so the figure moves as firms open and close roles.
Can I quote these network and infrastructure engineer figures?
Yes, with attribution and a link. Method 2026.1, last reviewed September 2026. Cite the dated edition rather than the live page if you need the number to stay stable: KnowQuant Quant Compensation Benchmark, Q3 2026 edition, method 2026.1. https://www.know-quant.com/salary/network-engineer
Free to quote and republish with attribution and a link to the source page, under our terms. Method 2026.1, last reviewed 1 September 2026. The methodology sets out how each band is built and what it excludes.
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Methodology
Figures are expressed as annual total compensation (base salary plus expected performance bonus) in the reference market's local currency, converted from a US dollar base. They describe typical market ranges rather than any individual offer, and exclude sign-on payments, deferred equity and carried interest. Portfolio-manager figures reflect formulaic profit-share arrangements and are therefore far more dispersed than any other role.
KnowQuant·Index 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
Modelled bands describe the market, not an individual offer. Where an employer states pay, the stated figure is used and labelled as such.
KnowQuant·Index 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
KnowQuant · Publishes indicative market ranges for information purposes and does not provide financial advice.