Is the CompTIA Security+ worth it? What 867 job postings say
867 open job postings from 356 employers name CompTIA Security+. 51% require it; the rest list it as a nice-to-have. It's asked for most in networking jobs, where 10% of postings name it.
51% of the 867 postings that name it require it. It also appears in early-career postings: 13% are junior or intern roles.
- Employers name it
- 3564th of 40 we track
- Require it
- 51%of postings that name it
- Valid for
- 3 yearsthen renew
Who should take it?
Built from what the 867 postings ask for, not from opinions.
Take it if you…
- aim at networking and security jobsNamed in 10% of networking postings and 7% of security postings
- target employers that screen for it51% of the postings that name it require it
- are early in your career13% of the postings that name it are junior or intern roles
Recognition: widely recognised, 4th of 40 by the number of employers that name it (356). We can't yet measure whether CompTIA Security+ 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 Security+, and how many of those require it.
Job titles
CompTIA Security+ shows up most in Security Engineer, Systems Administrator and Network 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 | 23 | 25 |
| Systems Administrator | 16 | 21 |
| Network Engineer | 15 | 21 |
| DevSecOps Engineer | 13 | 17 |
| Software Engineer | 12 | 18 |
| Cybersecurity Engineer | 12 | 13 |
| System Administrator | 11 | 11 |
| DevOps Engineer | 9 | 17 |
Required or a plus?
How the 867 postings that name CompTIA Security+ ask for it.
Who it's for: seniority
Level stated in the job title, 340 postings.
Who asks for it
Employers with the most postings
- Accenture Federal Services · 50
- Computer World Services · 29
- SMX · 26
- Verkada · 24
- Agile Defense · 19
- Dark Wolf Solutions · 19
- AnaVation · 16
- AGE Solutions · 15
- INflow Federal · 15
- GRVTY · 13
Where the jobs are
41% are fully remote (of 399 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 Security+ and publish a salary range (471 postings).
Often asked for together
Other certifications named in the same postings as CompTIA Security+.
Share of the postings that name CompTIA Security+. Postings often list several certifications as alternatives (“CISSP, CISM or equivalent”).
Compared with similar certifications
CISSP is 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% |
Exam and requirements
Security+ V7 (SY0-701); V8 (SY0-801) launches around 17 November 2026. From the official CompTIA 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
- Keeping it
- 50 continuing education units and a $150 fee per 3-year cycle, or pass a newer or higher exam
Official prices only. Courses, practice tests and retakes come on top; their prices vary too much between providers to average.
Sources: CompTIA: Security+ renewal (50 CEUs), CompTIA: continuing education fees, CompTIA: Security+ V7, CompTIA: Security+ V8.
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 Security+, 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 Security+ worth it in 2026?
It depends on the job you're aiming at. 356 employers name it in 867 open postings, most often in networking (10% of that family's postings). 51% require it. For those jobs it can decide whether your application gets past the first screen.
Will CompTIA Security+ help me get an entry-level job?
It appears in early-career postings more than most certifications: 13% 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 Security+ pay?
US postings that name it and publish a salary advertise a median base pay of $143K (middle half $110K–$168K, 471 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 CompTIA Security+?
Most often CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ (named in 37% of the same postings), CISSP (named in 32% of the same postings) and Cisco CCNA (named in 18% of the same postings).
What is on the CompTIA Security+ exam, and what is the pass mark?
The official outline weights security operations (28%), threats, vulnerabilities and mitigations (22%) and security program management and oversight (20%) most. Pass mark: 750 on a scale of 100–900.
Does CompTIA Security+ expire?
3 years. Keeping it: 50 continuing education units and a $150 fee per 3-year cycle, or pass a newer or higher exam.
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.