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Salary data checked 7 November 2026

CompTIA Security+ salary and jobs in 2026: is it worth it?

There’s no single CompTIA Security+® salary, because employers pay for the job, not the certificate. Information security analysts, one of the roles CompTIA names for Security+, earned a median $129,180 in May 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics; help desk staff earned $61,860. Security+ is worth it when you already have some IT experience, or when the job you want asks for it.

Is it worth it for you? Salary by job

Salary at a glance

CompTIA Security+ salary at a glance

Two named sources, two methods. The BLS asks employers what each job pays. PayScale asks people who hold Security+ what they earn. Neither one measures what the certificate itself adds to a paycheck.

  • $129kMedian pay for US information security analysts in May 2025: $129,180 (BLS).
  • $90kAverage base salary reported by 14,276 Security+ holders on PayScale, updated 22 October 2026.
  • 21%Projected growth in analyst jobs from 2025 to 2035, which BLS calls much faster than average.
  • 14.1kOpenings for information security analysts each year, on average, projected by BLS over the same decade.

Why is PayScale’s figure lower? Likely the sample: it’s anyone with Security+ who chose to report their pay: 36% fall in its entry-level or early-career bands, and its list of popular employers includes the US Air Force and US Army. The BLS figure covers one occupation at every level of experience, whether or not people hold Security+.

What actually sets a Security+ holder’s pay

  1. The job
  2. Where it is
  3. Your experience
  4. The employer

The certification can be the requirement that gets you considered for a job. It isn’t a pay grade. BLS doesn’t report pay by certification, and PayScale’s numbers describe people who hold Security+, not the effect of holding it.

Salary by job

Security+ jobs salary: what BLS data shows by role

These are national medians from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, the latest release. They describe the occupation, not Security+ holders. Half of workers in each job earn more than the median and half earn less.

  • All US occupationsFor comparison$50,980
  • Computer user support specialistsHelp desk, desktop support$61,860
  • Computer network support specialistsNetwork technician, network support$76,220
  • Network and computer systems administratorsSystems and network admins$99,130
  • Computer occupations, all otherIncludes penetration testers and security engineers$116,580
  • Information security analystsSecurity analyst, IT security analyst, ISSO$129,180
  • Computer and information systems managersIncludes IT security managers$175,140

Source: BLS OEWS national estimates, May 2025, checked 7 November 2026. Example titles come from O*NET. BLS has no separate figure for penetration testers or information security engineers; O*NET files both under “computer occupations, all other”, a mixed group.

Pay varies widely inside one job

BLS doesn’t split pay by years of experience, but its percentiles show how widely pay spreads among people with the same job title. In each of these jobs, the pay line for the top 10% is more than double the line for the bottom 10%.

  • Information security analystsmedian $129,180
  • Network and computer systems administratorsmedian $99,130
  • Computer user support specialistsmedian $61,860

Bottom 10% earn less thanTop 10% earn more than

Source: BLS OEWS percentile wages, May 2025. For analysts, the middle half earned between $97,810 and $163,500.

Location: the same job, about $73,000 apart

For information security analysts, the state median ran from $81,950 in Montana to $154,940 in Washington in May 2025. The five states with the most analyst jobs all pay within $5,000 of the national median or above it. Living costs differ too, so compare any offer with local costs.

Information security analysts by state, BLS OEWS May 2025, checked 7 November 2026. Job counts are rounded estimates. BLS released no median for Idaho or Oregon and no estimate for West Virginia.
StateAnalyst jobsMedian payNote
Washington6,030$154,940Highest median
Maryland8,650$139,640
California15,570$138,570
District of Columbia1,510$135,090
Virginia19,120$134,900Most jobs
New York10,060$134,660
Texas16,130$129,890
Florida14,220$124,860
Mississippi480$87,690
Montana380$81,950Lowest median

Jobs for Security+ certification

What jobs can you get with Security+?

CompTIA names three target roles for Security+: security analyst, security engineer and systems administrator. In practice, holders also work in the jobs below and beside those. Here’s how the certification fits each common entry and mid-level role, with the BLS figures for the closest occupation.

Medians: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Requirements: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, checked 7 November 2026. We matched each role to the closest BLS occupation; job titles vary by employer.
RoleBLS medianHow Security+ fitsWhat else gets you hired
Help desk or IT support
Entry		$61,860A plus, not the main ask. BLS says some support jobs accept a high school diploma plus IT certifications.Troubleshooting, customer service, and operating system and hardware basics.
Network support or network technician
Entry		$76,220Adds the security side to a networking job.Networking fundamentals: addressing, routing, switching and the common ports.
Systems or network administrator
Entry to mid		$99,130One of CompTIA’s three named roles. Shows security basics for an admin who handles accounts, patching and backups.Hands-on Windows, Linux or cloud work. BLS notes employers may require certification in the products they use.
Security analyst or SOC analyst
Entry to mid		$129,180The role Security+ fits best, and one CompTIA names. On its own it’s usually not enough: BLS lists a bachelor’s degree and related experience as typical.IT experience, often as an administrator, says BLS. Log reading, alert triage and a home lab help.
Security engineer or penetration tester
Mid		$116,580
mixed group		A foundation only. CompTIA names security engineer, but you’ll be judged on hands-on skills.Scripting, cloud or network design, testing tools and, later, a more advanced certification.
IT security manager
Senior		$175,140A line on your history, not a hiring factor at this level.BLS lists 5 years or more of related work, and an IT security manager may need to have been an analyst first.
DoD or defense contractor cyber role
Varies		Depends on the jobCan be part of the job’s formal qualification rules. See our DoD 8140 and Security+ guide.Whatever the work role and level in the posting require.

Want to see local demand? Search a job board for “Security+” in your area and read twenty postings. The requirements that repeat are your shopping list. Counts on job boards change daily, so we don’t quote one here.

Entry-level reality

Can I get a job with just Security+?

Sometimes, but usually not a security job. With Security+ and no IT experience, the realistic targets are help desk and IT support roles. Defense and government postings may require Security+, but read their experience line too. For security analysts, BLS lists a bachelor’s degree and some related IT experience as typical, though some enter with a high school diploma plus industry training and certifications.

  1. Help desk or IT support

    BLS median $61,860. BLS says some candidates qualify with a high school diploma plus IT certifications, so this is where Security+ on its own helps most.

  2. Systems or network admin

    BLS median $99,130, typically with a bachelor’s degree. BLS says many analysts have IT experience, often in this job.

  3. Security analyst

    BLS median $129,180. Typically a bachelor’s degree plus some related IT experience (BLS: less than five years). Security+ fits here best.

  4. Security manager

    BLS median $175,140, with five years or more of related work. An IT security manager may need to have been an analyst first.

Medians: BLS OEWS national estimates, May 2025. Education and experience: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, checked 7 November 2026. A median describes the job, not what Security+ adds.

The entry jobs are shrinking; security is growing

BLS projects small declines in the support and admin jobs that often lead into security, and fast growth in analyst jobs. That makes the step from IT into security the one to plan for, and it’s the step Security+ is aimed at: CompTIA recommends about two years of hands-on experience in a security or systems administrator job before you take it, plus Network+ for the current V7 exam.

  • −3%Computer support specialists, projected change in jobs, 2025–35.
  • −4%Network and computer systems administrators, same period.
  • +21%Information security analysts, same period.
  • +16%Computer and information systems managers, same period.

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 projections, pages updated 27 August 2026.

DoD and government demand

Security+ in defense and government jobs

Defense employers lead one public dataset on Security+ holders. On PayScale’s Security+ page, the list of popular employers starts with Booz Allen Hamilton, the US Air Force, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics Information Technology and the US Army.

Does the posting mention DoD 8140 or 8570?

Yes

Treat the stated qualification as a must-have

Note the work role and level the posting names, then read our guide to DoD 8140 and Security+ to see how Security+ fits that role.

No

Treat it as one signal of several

Private-sector postings weigh experience and skills alongside it. Use the role table above to see what else to build.

Is Security+ worth it?

Is Security+ worth it? A decision table

The exam is a fixed cost: $439 for a US voucher at list price (Security+ V7, checked 3 November 2026; see the Security+ exam cost guide). Whether it pays back depends on where you’re starting from.

Our guidance, based on the BLS requirements and CompTIA’s recommended experience cited on this page.
Your situationWorth it?WhyDo this next
New to IT, no tech job yetLaterCompTIA recommends about two years of hands-on security or admin experience first. Without IT experience, Security+ mostly helps with support jobs.Learn networking, get a support job or build a lab, then take Security+. See the CompTIA certification path.
Help desk or IT support, a year or two inYesThe classic bridge into security. It adds proof of security knowledge to experience you already have.Volunteer for security tasks at work while you study.
Systems or network admin moving into securityYesBLS says many analysts have IT experience, often as administrators. Security+ fills the security gap on your résumé.Pair it with a security project you can talk about.
Applying for DoD or defense contractor jobsIf the role lists itDefense employers top PayScale’s list of popular employers for holders, and DoD’s 8140 rules can make a certification one way to qualify.Check the work role in the posting before you book.
Student or new graduate in IT or cybersecurityUsually yesBLS lists a bachelor’s degree as typical for analysts. A certification shows you can apply what you studied.Add an internship or a lab project to go with it.
Already in security with CySA+, CISSP or similarRarelyIt adds little on top of a more advanced certification, unless a contract or posting names Security+.Put the money toward your next specialist certification.

What Security+ won’t do for you

It’s a broad exam of multiple-choice and performance-based questions. Passing proves knowledge at one point in time, which is useful, but it has limits.

  1. Limit 1

    It won’t replace experience

    For security analyst jobs, BLS lists related work experience as typical. Expect interviewers to ask what you’ve done.

  2. Limit 2

    It won’t set your salary

    In May 2025 the bottom 10% of information security analysts earned under $75,090 and the top 10% over $199,850 (BLS). The job, place, experience and employer decide where you land.

  3. Limit 3

    It won’t teach one vendor’s tools

    Security+ is vendor-neutral. The firewall, SIEM or cloud platform your employer runs is learned on the job or through its own training.

Decided it’s worth it? Check you’re ready before you pay for a voucher: a timed mock shows your weakest domains, and practice questions by domain let you target them. Our guide to how hard Security+ is explains what trips people up.

After Security+

What to do after Security+

The certification can get you considered. These four steps help turn it into an offer, and keep it valid.

  1. Get hands-on

    Build a small lab: a firewall, a SIEM and some logs to read. It gives you concrete things to talk about in an interview.

  2. Aim at one role

    Pick analyst, engineer or admin and read local postings for it. The requirements that repeat are your next study list.

  3. Choose the next certification

    CySA+ for analyst work, PenTest+ for testing, or a cloud or vendor certification for admin roles.

    Compare the paths

  4. Keep it current

    CompTIA’s renewal cycle runs three years from the date you certify, with a $150 continuing-education fee for the cycle (checked 7 November 2026).

    Security+ renewal rules

Still deciding? Read what the Security+ certification covers, or build a schedule with our Security+ study plan.

FAQ

Security+ salary and jobs: common questions

How much does a CompTIA Security+ make?

It depends on the job, not the certificate. PayScale’s self-reported average base salary for Security+ holders is about $90,000 (updated 22 October 2026). BLS puts May 2025 medians at $129,180 for information security analysts and $61,860 for help desk (computer user support) staff.

Can I get a job with just Security+?

For some entry IT jobs, yes; for a security job, usually not. BLS says some support jobs accept a high school diploma plus relevant IT certifications. For information security analysts, it lists a bachelor’s degree and some related IT experience as typical, so plan on Security+ plus a support or admin job first.

Is CompTIA Security+ worth it in 2026?

Yes, if you have some IT experience or you’re aiming at defense or government work. BLS projects 21% growth in information security analyst jobs from 2025 to 2035. If you’re brand new to IT, start with networking and a support job, then take Security+.

What jobs can I get with Security+?

CompTIA names security analyst, security engineer and systems administrator. Holders also work in help desk, network support and defense contractor roles. It fits best for the move from IT support or administration into a security analyst job.

Is Security+ good to start with?

It’s a good first security certification, but not a good first IT step. CompTIA recommends about two years of hands-on experience as a security or systems administrator before it. Once networking basics are in place, Security+ is a sensible first security credential.

Worth it? Find out how close you are

Take free Mock Test 1 cold: 90 questions in 90 minutes, an estimated score on the 100–900 scale and an explanation for every option. Then drill the domains it flags.

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Sources

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of these, checked on 7 November 2026. Data years are given for each.

Written by the SecurityMocks team with AI assistance and checked against the sources below. Last reviewed 7 November 2026.

  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Information Security Analysts: May 2025 pay, 2025 jobs, 2025–35 outlook and openings, entry requirements. Page modified 27 August 2026.
  2. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer Support Specialists, Network and Computer Systems Administrators and Computer and Information Systems Managers: 2025–35 outlook, entry requirements and certification notes. Pages modified 27 August 2026.
  3. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 profiles: information security analysts (15-1212), including state estimates; network and computer systems administrators (15-1244); computer user support specialists (15-1232); computer network support specialists (15-1231); computer occupations, all other (15-1299); computer and information systems managers (11-3021). Figures retrieved through the BLS Public Data API.
  4. O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor): Information Security Analysts, Penetration Testers and Information Security Engineers: example job titles and the occupation group used for pay.
  5. PayScale, CompTIA Security+ salary: self-reported average base salary, experience bands and popular employers. Updated 22 October 2026; 14,276 people reporting.
  6. CompTIA, Security+ certification page (job roles) and Security+ V7 page (recommended experience).
  7. CompTIA, CE renewal cycle and continuing education renewal fees.

Pay data describes groups of workers, not what any one person will earn.