CompTIA Security+ vs CompTIA Network+: Which Should You Get?
- →Security+ pays $2,000 more per year on average and is the right call for anyone targeting cybersecurity - don't overcomplicate it.
- →Network+ is the smarter first move if you're brand new to IT and need networking fundamentals before security concepts will stick.
- →The $46 price difference between the two exams should not be the reason you pick one over the other - the job you want is what matters.
- →If government or defense contractor work is anywhere in your future, Security+ isn't optional - DoD 8570 makes it a hard requirement.
Here's the short answer: if you're aiming at cybersecurity, get Security+. If you're brand new to IT and don't know what a subnet is, get Network+ first. That's it. That's the verdict. Both certs come from CompTIA, both are entry-level, and a lot of people agonize over this choice longer than they should. Security+ costs $404, adds roughly $8,000 to your salary, and is recognized by the DoD. Network+ costs $358, adds around $6,000, and proves you understand how networks actually work. The $46 price difference isn't the deciding factor here. Your current skill level and your target job are.
◆ Quick Verdict: CompTIA Security+ vs CompTIA Network+
Security+ wins on salary uplift - $8,000 vs $6,000 per year. It also wins on job demand, especially if the federal government or any defense contractor is anywhere near your career plans. Network+ is $46 cheaper at $358 vs $404, and it's the smarter starting point if you genuinely don't have networking fundamentals yet. Both are issued by CompTIA, both are beginner-level, and neither requires a prerequisite. But Security+ is the one hiring managers in cybersecurity actually ask for.
◆ What's Actually Different Between Them
Network+ is about how data moves - routing, switching, TCP/IP, VLANs, troubleshooting physical and wireless networks. Security+ assumes you already know some of that and builds on top of it - threats, vulnerabilities, identity management, cryptography, incident response. The Security+ exam runs up to 90 questions including performance-based simulations. Network+ is similar in format. Here's what that difference means for your career: Network+ makes you hireable as a help desk tech or junior network admin. Security+ makes you hireable as a security analyst, SOC analyst, or systems administrator with a security focus. Those are different jobs with different pay ceilings.
◆ Salary and Career Impact
The $8,000 vs $6,000 salary uplift figures are averages - and averages lie a little. You'll see the full Security+ bump in roles like SOC analyst, security administrator, or IT auditor. In a pure help desk or network support role, that jump is smaller. Network+ opens doors at the $45,000 to $60,000 range for network technician and junior admin work. Security+ pushes you toward the $65,000 to $85,000 range faster. Honestly, Security+ has a higher ceiling and the demand for security-focused roles isn't slowing down. The $2,000 annual difference between the two certs compounds quickly over a career.
◆ Get CompTIA Security+ If...
Get Security+ if you want to work in cybersecurity and you're not starting from absolute zero. Get it if you're already in an IT role - help desk, sysadmin, anything - and you want to pivot toward security. Get it if a government job, defense contractor, or federal agency is on your radar - DoD 8570 compliance makes Security+ essentially mandatory in those spaces. And get it if you've already studied basic networking on your own or held any IT role for six months or more. The $404 exam fee pays back faster than Network+ does.
◆ Get CompTIA Network+ If...
Get Network+ if you can't explain the difference between a router and a switch without Googling it. Get it if you're completely new to IT and need a foundation before anything security-related makes sense. Get it if your target job is explicitly network-focused - NOC technician, network support, infrastructure roles at MSPs. And get it if you tried studying for Security+ and kept getting lost in the networking concepts. There's no shame in sequencing these correctly. Network+ first, Security+ six to twelve months later, is a totally valid path.
◆ Frequently Asked Questions
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