Is the CISSP worth it? What 1,369 job postings say
1,369 open job postings from 594 employers name CISSP. 35% require it; the rest list it as a nice-to-have. It's asked for most in security jobs, where 19% of postings name it.
35% of the 1,369 postings that name it require it. It signals experience: 97% of the postings that state a level are senior or above.
- Employers name it
- 5942nd of 40 we track
- Require it
- 35%of postings that name it
- Level
- Professionalour classification
- Exam fee
- $749official price
- Valid for
- 3 yearsthen renew
Who should take it?
Built from what the 1,369 postings ask for, not from opinions.
Take it if you…
- aim at security and networking jobsNamed in 19% of security postings and 7% of networking postings
- target employers that screen for it35% of the postings that name it require it
- already have years in the field97% of these postings are senior or above
Skip it (for now) if you…
- want it to land your first jobOnly 2% of the postings that name it are junior or intern roles
- don't meet the requirements yetRequired: 5 years of paid work experience in at least two of the eight CISSP domains
Recognition: one of the most widely recognised certifications we track, 2nd of 40 by the number of employers that name it (594). We can't yet measure whether CISSP 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 CISSP, and how many of those require it.
Job titles
CISSP shows up most in Security Engineer, Security Architect and Cybersecurity Engineer postings. Ranked by the number of different employers, so one big hirer can't fill the list.
| Job (level and location removed) | Employers | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Security Engineer | 80 | 101 |
| Security Architect | 17 | 21 |
| Cybersecurity Engineer | 17 | 20 |
| Security Analyst | 15 | 15 |
| GRC Analyst | 14 | 15 |
| Cloud Security Engineer | 14 | 14 |
| Technical Program Manager | 11 | 13 |
| Information Systems Security Officer | 11 | 12 |
Required or a plus?
How the 1,369 postings that name CISSP ask for it.
Who it's for: seniority
Level stated in the job title, 743 postings.
Who asks for it
Employers with the most postings
- Accenture Federal Services · 49
- Zscaler · 43
- Agile Defense · 23
- AGE Solutions · 21
- GuidePoint Security · 21
- Coupang · 20
- Dark Wolf Solutions · 20
- Computer World Services · 18
- Capco · 15
- True Zero Technologies · 15
Where the jobs are
51% are fully remote (of 664 postings that say).
66% 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 CISSP and publish a salary range (629 postings).
Often asked for together
Other certifications named in the same postings as CISSP.
Share of the postings that name CISSP. Postings often list several certifications as alternatives (“CISSP, CISM or equivalent”).
Compared with similar certifications
CISSP is named by more employers than any other certification in its group.
| Certification | Level | Exam fee | Employers | Required | Senior or above | Junior or intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CISSP | Professional | $749 | 594 | 35% | 97% | 2% |
| CompTIA Security+ | – | – | 356 | 51% | 76% | 13% |
| CISM | Professional | $575–$760 | 353 | 31% | 96% | 2% |
| GIAC (any) | – | – | 302 | 34% | 90% | 5% |
| CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ | – | – | 296 | 41% | 68% | 18% |
| CISA (auditor) | Professional | $575–$760 | 231 | 31% | 96% | 3% |
| CCSP | Professional | $599 | 196 | 39% | 98% | 1% |
| OSCP / OffSec | Associate | $1,749 with course | 192 | 18% | 95% | 1% |
| Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) | Associate | – | 118 | 28% | 91% | 5% |
Exam and requirements
From the official ISC2 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
- $749
- Keeping it
- 120 continuing education (CPE) credits every 3 years and a $135 annual maintenance fee (one fee covers all your ISC2 certifications)
Official prices only. Courses, practice tests and retakes come on top; their prices vary too much between providers to average.
Sources: ISC2: annual maintenance fees, ISC2: CISSP exam outline, ISC2: CISSP, ISC2 exam pricing, ISC2: adaptive testing.
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 CISSP, 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 CISSP worth it in 2026?
It depends on the job you're aiming at. 594 employers name it in 1,369 open postings, most often in security (19% of that family's postings). 35% require it. For those jobs it can decide whether your application gets past the first screen.
Will CISSP help me get an entry-level job?
Rarely on its own. Only 2% of the postings that name it and state a level are junior or intern roles; 97% are senior, lead or staff. Employers treat it as a mark of experience, not a way in.
How much do jobs that ask for CISSP pay?
US postings that name it and publish a salary advertise a median base pay of $171K (middle half $145K–$203K, 629 postings). Compared with a job without a certification at the same company, same job family and level, they advertise the same. That's what the job pays, not what the certificate adds.
Which certifications are asked for together with CISSP?
Most often CISM (named in 39% of the same postings), GIAC (any) (named in 24% of the same postings) and CISA (auditor) (named in 21% of the same postings).
What is on the CISSP exam, and what is the pass mark?
The official outline weights security and risk management (16%), security architecture and engineering (13%) and communication and network security (13%) most. Pass mark: 700 out of 1,000.
Does CISSP expire?
3 years, renewed with continuing education credits and an annual fee. Keeping it: 120 continuing education (CPE) credits every 3 years and a $135 annual maintenance fee (one fee covers all your ISC2 certifications).
How much does CISSP cost?
$749, 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.