CompTIA Security+ Salary – What You Can Expect To Earn

The CompTIA Security+ certification is the world’s most popular cybersecurity certification.  It is the best cybersecurity certification for entry-level information security professionals seeking to add a credential to their resume.  The CompTIA Security+ certification is also the most popular certification for experienced cybersecurity professionals seeking to increase their salary. Though many people wonder, “What are realistic CompTIA Security+ salary earnings and can I achieve that salary by earning my Security+?”

The CompTIA Security+ is the world’s most popular cybersecurity certification. In the 2022 Dice Tech Salary Report, Security+ was listed as the second most popular certification amongst all professional certifications, accounting for 15% of all of the surveyed certifications.  While the most most popular certification was the CompTIA A+, which certifies technical support and IT. The Security+ focuses on cybersecurity principals, not general IT concepts.

What the Security+ exam covers

The globally recognized CompTIA Security+ certification from CompTIA is a vendor neutral certification that covers the essential skills needed to excel in the modern cybersecurity career field.  The topics included on the exam include Social Engineering, Attacks and Vulnerabilities, Security Operations, Risk Management, Cryptography, Network Security, and more.

The exam is updated every three years with SY0-601 being the latest version.  You can find a detailed description of all of the topics covered on the exam by reading the Security+ exam objectives.

Download a free copy of the CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Objectives here.

Why is the Security+ in demand?

The CompTIA Security+ has consistently remained the world’s most popular cybersecurity certification for several reasons. 

First, the CompTIA Security+ certification teaches the core concepts needed by every cybersecurity professional (see the Security+ (SY0-601) certification exam objectives).  These skills are essential for anyone working in cybersecurity.  Anyone who passes the Security+ exam demonstrates a solid understanding of these skills.  This makes it easier for hiring managers to ascertain the skill level of a potential hire.

Second, the Security+ exam tests students in a way that stresses not only knowledge but also practical skills.  CompTIA has developed special questions that require student to demonstrate hands-on knowledge with various technologies.  These performance-based questions, or PBQs, determine if a student possesses technical aptitude with common security tools.  PBQs might require a student to configure a firewall, or use a drop down menu to correctly apply social engineering tactics in a mock attack.  These difficult PBQs provide a greater level of credibility to the Security+ certification than multiple choice questions could on their own.

Third, the exam is vendor-neutral.  This means that the exam teaches cybersecurity concepts without relying on a specific vendor’s hardware or software.  For example, students will learn general practices when learning how to configure a Security Event and Information Management (SEIM) device but won’t be taught specific commands related to one vendor’s SEIM.  This vendor-neutral approach enables students to be ready for any workplace challenge, regardless of the technology used.

Fourth, there are no prerequisites to earning the Security+ certification.  This enables candidates to acquire this world-class certification based on their knowledge and skill without having to prove any prior experience.  This gives hard-working individuals an option to enter the cybersecurity career field without pursuing a costly college degree.  It’s also a fantastic certification for individuals who are already working in IT or cybersecurity roles. 

Fifth, it serves as a springboard for other certifications.  Candidates who successfully pass their Security+ exam can use the knowledge they learned from the Security+ to help them earn certifications like the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+ (CySA+), or even an EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).  

Sixth, the Security+ can be maintained for life.  Once you earn your Security+, you do not need to take the exam again.  Instead, you are required to pay a maintenance fee of $50 every year.  You will also need to submit 50 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every three years.  These CEUs can be obtained by various activities.  For example, you could webinars (a 1 hour webinar counts for 1 CEU),  write a blog, or obtain another certification (usually acquiring another certification accounts for all 50 CEUs).

Lastly, the CompTIA Security+ certification fulfills DoD 8570 regulatory requirements.  This means that many U.S. Federal, State, and Local government roles will require a Security+ from their employees.  This makes the Security+ the ideal certification for those seeking government positions.

Job titles for job seekers with a CompTIA Security+ certification

The job roles covered by CompTIA Security+ are classified under the “network and computer systems administrators” category by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This category includes a variety of roles, including:

– Helpdesk managers and analysts
– Network and cloud engineers
– IT auditors
– Security engineers
– Security analyst
– IT project managers
– DevOps teams
– Software developers

If you’re interested in learning more about the pay ranges for these roles and others, check out our blog article on the top paying IT and cybersecurity job titles.

Average CompTIA Security+ Salary Expectations

According to the U.S. BLS, the number of jobs in the network and computer systems administrators category is expected to grow by 5 percent by 2030.

According to the Certification Magazine 2022 Salary Survey, the average salary of a Security+ certified professional is $115,170 in the U.S. and 106,910 worldwide. Of course, pay depends on several different factors and, in fact, the average yearly salary for a professional with CompTIA Security+ certification according to PayScale, in the United States, is $78,000.

Average pay by job role

Holding a CompTIA Security+ certification makes an enormous impact on one’s salary.  Though the amount of pay one can earn will depend on a number of factors including job location, amount of experience, local economic conditions, and other factors.  Here are the average yearly salaries for various positions that require or request a Security+ certification:

– IT Security administrator: $68,645
– Senior systems engineer: $108,459
– Cybersecurity engineer: $96,124
– Cybersecurity analyst: $77,038
– Information technology (IT) manager: $81,820
– Network engineer: $78,107
– Security engineer: $89,363
– Systems administrator: $66,721
– Network administrator: $63,482

These salaries were calculated by PayScale on 30 January 2023.  Click here to calculate current salaries.

Please note that these are averages, so a candidate might earn more or less with their Security+ certification depending on the factors mentioned above.  For example, a candidate with zero work experience would earn less than these averages while someone with a Security+ certification and other certifications, like the CISSP, would earn significantly more. 

Average pay by gender

One of the benefits of the cybersecurity career field is that there is a very low unemployment rate.  This means that the pay disparity between men and women in cybersecurity is far less than the rate for most other professions.  Though the cybersecurity career field is dominated by men, with men comprising nearly 90% of the workforce, employers cannot afford to discriminate the salary they offer.  PayScale conducted a survey of around 14,000 cybersecurity professionals and found that:

– Male workers reported a salary range of $50,000-$123,000

– Female workers reported a salary range of $50,000-$121,000

The survey indicated a pay between 1 – 2% which is far less than the national average of 22 – 30%.  Cybersecurity continues to be an attractive career field for female professionals who are seeking to eliminate the gender pay gap.

The impact of a CompTIA Security+ certification on your salary and potential earnings

Obtaining your CompTIA Security+ certification will have a direct impact on your salary and earnings potential.

Here’s a comparison of average salaries of cybersecurity professionals without a Security+ and with a Security+ based on years of experience:

These salaries indicate the CompTIA Security+ certification has the greatest impact on an individual’s salary in the early and middle parts of one’s career. 

Data was pulled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of 30 January 2023.

Average Salary by city for an Information Security Specialist

By analyzing the salary of a common cybersecurity job role, for example the role of Information Security Specialist, we can gain some understanding of the effects of location on earnings.  While the role of Information Security Specialist has a national average salary of $89,580, this salary will fluctuate based on location.  Most job postings for Senior Information Security Specialist roles list the CompTIA Security+ as a required or desired certification.

Here are the average salaries for an Information Security Specialist in six major U.S. cities:

– Boston $97,463
– New York $96,119
– Washington, D.C. $99,640
– San Francisco $100,061
– Miami $85,101
– Dallas $87,965

Average Salary by city for a Senior Information Security Specialist

A Senior Information Security Specialist is classified as having ten or more years of experience in their field.  The national average salary for the role of Senior Information Security Specialist is $104.578.  The vast majority of job postings for Senior Information Security Specialist roles list the CompTIA Security+ as a desired certification. 

Here are the average salaries for that role in six major U.S. cities:

– Boston $117,828
– New York $125,807
– Washington, D.C. $116,416
– San Francisco $130,722
– Miami $101,808
– Dallas $103,898

It pays (literally) to earn your CompTIA Security+ Certification

As this article demonstrates, holding a CompTIA Security+ certification has a distinct impact on salary.  The data shows that Security+ certified professionals earn more than non-certified individuals, particularly in the early stages of their careers.  Often, the difference in salary is several thousand dollars per year.  Plus, candidates will benefit from the prestige offered by this globally recognized certification.

To become Security+ certified a candidate must seek training, either through a training school or through self-study.  Instructor-led courses are normally priced from $2,500 – $5,000. 

Cyberkraft’s Security+ bootcamp is much cheaper than the industry rate and has one of the best success rates of all bootcamps, at 94%.  Plus, you are guaranteed to pass on the first attempt with any Cyberkraft bootcamp and the exam voucher is included in your enrollment. 

Enroll using this link today:  https://cyberkrafttraining.com/security-plus-spb/

Another option is self-paced study.  Cyberkraft’s Security+ Complete Course includes labs, study guides, quizzes, six full simulation exams, and over 25 hours of recorded HD video lessons to get you ready to ace your Security+ exam. 

Try the course now risk free with our 14 day full money back guarantee: https://cyberkrafttraining.com/security-plus-sp/

 Sources Used

• CompTIA Security+, CompTIA
• Average Information Security Specialist Salary, PayScale.com
• Average Information Security Specialist with Cyber Security Skills Salary, PayScale.com
• The NEW CompTIA Security+: Your Questions Answered, CompTIA
• Salary Earned for the CompTIA Security+, PayScale.com
• Income for Network and Computer Systems Administrators, United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Average Information Security Specialist with Security Risk Management Skills Salary, PayScale.com
• The 2022 Annual Salary Survey, certmag.com
• Senior Information Security Specialist Salary, Salary.com
• Information Security Specialist Salary, Salary.com
• The Tech 2022 Salary Report, Dice.com