How much does CompTIA Security+ pay?

Security+ is a baseline certification, not a salary. The cert does not set your pay; it qualifies you for entry-level roles. Realistically, someone whose top cert is Security+ starts around $45,000 to $75,000 in help desk, Tier 1 SOC, or junior analyst work. The often-quoted six-figure numbers, like the BLS median of about $129,200 (May 2025) for information security analysts, describe the experienced occupation you grow into over several years, not what the cert pays on day one.

What is a realistic starting salary with Security+ and no experience?

Plan on roughly $45,000 to $70,000 to start, most often as a help desk or IT support technician or a Tier 1 / junior SOC analyst. Pay climbs quickly with one to two years of hands-on work and a follow-on certification. Cleared defense-contractor roles tend to start higher.

Does Security+ actually increase your salary?

On its own the bump is modest. The real value is access: Security+ gets your resume past filters and meets a hard requirement for many government and contractor jobs, so the lift comes from the roles it unlocks rather than the paper itself. Stacking it with experience and a higher cert such as CySA+ or CISSP is what moves you into the higher pay bands.

How much does a security clearance change the pay?

A clearance is the single biggest pay lever for a Security+ holder. Cleared professionals averaged about $126,000 in total compensation in the 2026 ClearanceJobs report, well above uncleared entry pay. The premium belongs to the clearance, not the cert, but Security+ is often the requirement that lets you be hired into a cleared role in the first place.

Do I earn more with Security+ or a college degree?

They do different jobs. Security+ is the fastest and cheapest way to land a first security role, while a degree raises your ceiling, clears HR filters, and speeds promotion in corporate settings. The strongest outcome stacks both, or pairs Security+ with real hands-on experience and a follow-on certification to reach mid-career pay.

Why do salary sites show such different Security+ numbers?

Each site defines a Security+ job differently and blends experience levels. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is the most rigorous source and separates occupations cleanly, such as support specialist near a $62,000 median versus information security analyst near $129,200. Aggregators like Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and Payscale often mix juniors with seniors and sometimes rest on small samples, which is why their averages swing by tens of thousands of dollars. Treat all of them as ranges.

Career guide

CompTIA Security+ Salary: What It Really Pays

Security+ is a baseline certification, not a salary. It does not set your pay; it qualifies you for entry-level roles, and your pay then comes from the job, your experience, and any clearance you hold. Realistically, someone whose top cert is Security+ starts around $45,000 to $75,000. Here is what that looks like by role, what moves the number, and how a degree and the DoD path change the picture.

Last updated August 2026

What Security+ realistically pays at entry

These are the roles a Security+ holder actually qualifies for early on, with US ranges drawn from 2025 to 2026 salary aggregators. Samples and role definitions vary, so read them as ranges, not exact figures.

Realistic entry-level US pay for Security+ holders
Role	Typical US range
Help desk / IT supportThe common first IT job. A+ and Network+ are the usual certs here, but plenty of support staff hold Security+ to move up.	$40k to $60k
Tier 1 / junior SOC analystThe most common first security role for a Security+ holder. Monitoring alerts and triaging incidents on a blue team.	$50k to $75k
Junior security analystHands-on analysis work. Pay rises fast with a year or two of experience and a follow-on cert.	$60k to $85k
Systems / network administratorSecurity+ is a frequent add-on and a named DoD baseline cert for these roles.	$60k to $80k to start

The occupations Security+ feeds into

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track pay by certification, so these are the closest official occupations a Security+ holder works in or grows into. The figures cover all experience levels, so a new entrant should expect the lower end, not the median. The information security analyst median is the role you grow into over several years, not a day-one salary.

BLS May 2025 median and wage band by occupation
Occupation	Median	10th to 90th pct
Computer user support specialistsSOC 15-1232	$61,860	$40,980 to $100,540
Computer network support specialistsSOC 15-1231	$76,220	$47,120 to $127,780
Network and computer systems administratorsSOC 15-1244	$99,130	$62,640 to $155,050
Information security analystsSOC 15-1212	$129,180	$75,090 to $199,850

The clearance premium. The fastest way for an entry-level Security+ holder to clear $80,000 or more is a cleared defense role. Security+ meets the DoD baseline that lets you be hired into one, and cleared professionals averaged about $126,000 in total compensation in 2026. The pay belongs to the clearance, but the cert is often what opens the door.

What drives your pay

Experience: Tenure moves pay more than anything else. The same title can span the low band in year one and well over six figures for a senior on the same team.
Security clearance: The biggest single lever for a Security+ holder. Cleared professionals averaged about $126,000 in total compensation in the 2026 ClearanceJobs report. The premium is for the clearance, but Security+ is often the gate to a cleared role.
Location: The Washington DC metro and the defense-contractor corridor pay well above lower-cost regions. Remote roles narrow the gap but rarely close it.
Specialization: A generic analyst earns least. Cloud security, incident response, and governance and risk for regulated industries pay more, and that is where a follow-on cert points you.
Stacking certs: Security+ signals baseline competence. Adding CySA+, PenTest+, or CISSP as you gain experience is what actually moves you into higher salary bands.

With or without a degree

A degree is not required to get hired, but it widens the funnel and raises the ceiling, especially in corporate settings and for promotion past entry level. Without one, the proven path is Security+ plus hands-on labs plus a first IT job, starting near $45,000 to $70,000 and climbing on experience and additional certs. With a degree you clear more HR filters and reach the mid-career bands faster, and many postings read "bachelor's degree or equivalent experience plus certifications," so a degree can stand in for a few years of experience on paper. No reputable source shows the cert alone closing the lifetime-earnings gap a degree provides, but it is the most cost-effective way to start earning in security without one.

The DoD 8570 and 8140 angle

Security+ satisfies the Department of Defense baseline certification for IAT Level II (and is accepted where IAT Level I or IAM Level I is needed). The governing rules moved from 8570 to DoD Manual 8140.03, which took effect February 15, 2023 and ties qualifications to specific work roles, though job postings still commonly use "8570 compliant" or "IAT II" wording. The practical effect: on a DoD contract you cannot stay in the role without the baseline cert, so holding Security+ before you apply removes a hard gate, and it pairs with a clearance to reach the cleared-pay premium. Confirm the current 8140 qualification matrix for the exact role you are targeting.

About these figures

Salary figures are estimates and change over time. Ranges are drawn from US Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS wage data (May 2025) and 2025 to 2026 salary aggregators including ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and Payscale, and the cleared-pay average is from the 2026 ClearanceJobs compensation report. BLS does not report pay by certification, so the occupations above are the closest official match, not a measured "Security+ salary." Figures are last reviewed August 2026.

Security+ salary FAQ

How much does CompTIA Security+ pay?
Security+ is a baseline certification, not a salary. The cert does not set your pay; it qualifies you for entry-level roles. Realistically, someone whose top cert is Security+ starts around $45,000 to $75,000 in help desk, Tier 1 SOC, or junior analyst work. The often-quoted six-figure numbers, like the BLS median of about $129,200 (May 2025) for information security analysts, describe the experienced occupation you grow into over several years, not what the cert pays on day one.
What is a realistic starting salary with Security+ and no experience?
Plan on roughly $45,000 to $70,000 to start, most often as a help desk or IT support technician or a Tier 1 / junior SOC analyst. Pay climbs quickly with one to two years of hands-on work and a follow-on certification. Cleared defense-contractor roles tend to start higher.
Does Security+ actually increase your salary?
On its own the bump is modest. The real value is access: Security+ gets your resume past filters and meets a hard requirement for many government and contractor jobs, so the lift comes from the roles it unlocks rather than the paper itself. Stacking it with experience and a higher cert such as CySA+ or CISSP is what moves you into the higher pay bands.
How much does a security clearance change the pay?
A clearance is the single biggest pay lever for a Security+ holder. Cleared professionals averaged about $126,000 in total compensation in the 2026 ClearanceJobs report, well above uncleared entry pay. The premium belongs to the clearance, not the cert, but Security+ is often the requirement that lets you be hired into a cleared role in the first place.
Do I earn more with Security+ or a college degree?
They do different jobs. Security+ is the fastest and cheapest way to land a first security role, while a degree raises your ceiling, clears HR filters, and speeds promotion in corporate settings. The strongest outcome stacks both, or pairs Security+ with real hands-on experience and a follow-on certification to reach mid-career pay.
Why do salary sites show such different Security+ numbers?
Each site defines a Security+ job differently and blends experience levels. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is the most rigorous source and separates occupations cleanly, such as support specialist near a $62,000 median versus information security analyst near $129,200. Aggregators like Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and Payscale often mix juniors with seniors and sometimes rest on small samples, which is why their averages swing by tens of thousands of dollars. Treat all of them as ranges.

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Salary data reflects US figures and varies by region, employer, and experience. CompTIA and Security+ are trademarks of CompTIA, used here for identification only. SecPlus Mastery is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA.