Is the CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ worth it? What 654 job postings say
654 open job postings from 296 employers name CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+. 41% require it; the rest list it as a nice-to-have. It's asked for most in networking jobs, where 9% of postings name it.
41% of the 654 postings that name it require it. It also appears in early-career postings: 18% are junior or intern roles.
- Employers name it
- 2967th of 40 we track
- Require it
- 41%of postings that name it
Who should take it?
Built from what the 654 postings ask for, not from opinions.
Take it if you…
- aim at networking and IT & systems jobsNamed in 9% of networking postings and 9% of IT & systems postings
- target employers that screen for it41% of the postings that name it require it
- are early in your career18% of the postings that name it are junior or intern roles
Recognition: widely recognised, 7th of 40 by the number of employers that name it (296). We can't yet measure whether CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ 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 CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+, and how many of those require it.
Job titles
CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ shows up most in IT Support Specialist, Systems Administrator 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 |
|---|---|---|
| IT Support Specialist | 14 | 14 |
| Systems Administrator | 10 | 13 |
| Cybersecurity Engineer | 10 | 12 |
| IT Support Engineer | 10 | 10 |
| Network Engineer | 9 | 9 |
| Information Systems Security Manager | 7 | 7 |
| Information Systems Security Officer | 6 | 8 |
| IT Support Analyst | 6 | 6 |
Required or a plus?
How the 654 postings that name CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ ask for it.
Who it's for: seniority
Level stated in the job title, 255 postings.
Who asks for it
Employers with the most postings
- Computer World Services · 30
- Verkada · 23
- EOS · 18
- AnaVation · 16
- Accenture Federal Services · 15
- Agile Defense · 15
- AGE Solutions · 13
- Anduril Industries · 12
- Zscaler · 12
- Dark Wolf Solutions · 10
Where the jobs are
35% are fully remote (of 268 postings that say).
82% 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 CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ and publish a salary range (297 postings).
Often asked for together
Other certifications named in the same postings as CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+.
Share of the postings that name CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+. Postings often list several certifications as alternatives (“CISSP, CISM or equivalent”).
Compared with similar certifications
CISSP, CompTIA Security+ and CISM are named by more employers.
| 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% |
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 CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+, 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 CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ worth it in 2026?
It depends on the job you're aiming at. 296 employers name it in 654 open postings, most often in networking (9% of that family's postings). 41% require it. For those jobs it can decide whether your application gets past the first screen.
Will CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ help me get an entry-level job?
It appears in early-career postings more than most certifications: 18% of the postings that state a level are junior or intern roles. Most still ask for experience alongside it.
How much do jobs that ask for CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ pay?
US postings that name it and publish a salary advertise a median base pay of $123K (middle half $90K–$160K, 297 postings). Compared with a job without a certification at the same company, same job family and level, they advertise 13% less. That's what the job pays, not what the certificate adds.
Which certifications are asked for together with CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+?
Most often CompTIA Security+ (named in 49% of the same postings), Cisco CCNA (named in 30% of the same postings) and CISSP (named in 23% of the same postings).
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.