Exploring the 3 most common certifications in the IT industry

Do I really need this certification?

Is there a demand for this certification?

Can I skip this certification?

Breaking into the IT industry usually revolves around higher education, experience & certifications. But, do you need all of them or can you skip some? In this article, we take a look at the 3 most common certifications candidates pursue in their quests to join the IT field.

CompTIA A+

The A+ certification is a two-part exam that is marketed towards entry-level computer technicians to evaluate their competency on a variety of objectives such as baseline security skills across differing operating systems, basic IT infrastructure and networking skills, troubleshooting, and managing data backups. It also happens to be one of the very first certifications many choose to obtain when coming into this industry.

Although, it is primarily directed at those entry level positions, this certifications desirability still remains high. I took a peek at Indeed to see what the current demand of this certification looks like, experience levels required & the estimated salaries. Here are the findings:

Boolean logic search term used: CompTIA A+

Results = 3,185 job listings

Experience level = 1174 Entry-level positions, 1568 Mid-level positions, 69 Senior positions

374 jobs were unable to be identified for their experience levels.

Estimated salaries & their job listings for A+:

CompTIA Network+

The Network+ certification is the next step following the A+ certification and is considered a core holding by CompTIA as it builds upon that foundation that was laid in the A+ studies/exam. It dives deeper into switches & routers, designing networks, configuring and securing devices, and of course, troubleshooting networks. Generally speaking, this is usually the second certificate chosen to obtain.

Like A+, the demand still remains strong for prospective employees who hold this certificate. However, it does appear there is far less demand for this specific certificate in contrast to A+. Here's a quick look at the demand, experience levels required & estimated salaries.

Boolean logic search term used: CompTIA Network+ & CompTIA Net+

Results = 1,470 job listings

Experience level = 429 Entry-level positions, 908 Mid-level positions, 38 Senior positions

199 jobs were unable to be identified for their experience levels.

Estimated salaries & their job listings for Network+:

CompTIA Security+

The Security+ certification is usually the last of the exams you will take to complete the trifecta. Although, the Security+ certificate is also marketed as an entry-level certificate, it is an inch deep and a mile wide. By that, I mean, it covers a lot of ground. A lot! And candidates usually do much better on it if they have the information under their belt from the A+ & Network+ exams. You can expect to see things about physical security, wireless security, social engineering, assessing security incidents, viruses, policies & laws, IoT and mobile environments, risk compliance.. should I.. should I keep going? You get the point?

There is a ton of demand for this certification and I dare say it is mandatory if you ever aspire to break into the cybersecurity realm of IT. It is also a requirement (A+ and Network+ can be as well) for work in the government sector, per DOD 8140. As I work in this sector, I can tell you many employers will list Security+ as the requirement, even if per DOD 8140, you just need A+ or Network+. Security+ is, in my opinion, quickly becoming the baseline certification needed across our industry, in the government sector. Here are the findings for the demand, experience levels required & estimated salaries.

Boolean logic search term used: CompTIA Security+ & CompTIA Sec+

Results = 3,652

Experience level = 602 Entry-level positions, 1960 Mid-level positions, 515 Senior positions

575 jobs were unable to be identified for their experience levels.

Estimated salaries & their job listings for Security+:

What about all 3?

I decided to query all 3 certificates in a single listing. And, to quite my surprise, there were not that many active listings containing all 3 certificates.

Boolean logic search term used: CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+

Results = 127

Do not misconstrue that you are somehow doing yourself a disservice by having all 3 of these certificates based on the limited results. Rather, I would take safety in knowing it is likely just the syntax I have used to do these searches. If I could dedicate more time to crafting better searches, I am sure the results would likely widen out. And, to be honest, even if the results stayed the same, I would still recommend completing the trifecta as it will only help strengthen & broaden your knowledge base and marketability to prospective employers.

Final note/Disclaimer...

This information was accurate as of 3pm on July 20, 2021. Of course, we can expect new listings to come on and listings to go off which will affect overall position availability and even expected salaries. This is to merely give you an idea of employability.

Now I know the listings above toss out some relatively high salary numbers which I took directly from Indeed. However, it should not be assumed that it is the actual salaries you will or will not receive. It is merely a best guess on Indeed's part. You may find salaries far lower or even far higher when you are interviewing. Remember, it is the totality of the candidate's resume that will result in your starting salaries. Indeed does a clear job outlining exactly how they calculate their estimates.