CompTIA Security+ Certification Profile

Global Knowledge

Date: 01 January, 0001

Here’s an exclusive profile of North American IT pros who hold a CompTIA’s Security+ certification. The data is from our global IT Skills and Salary Report so you won't find it anywhere else.

If you're not familiar with the certification, here's a Security+ overview.

Job functions and job titles that commonly hold the Security+ certification

Cybersecurity Job Role
1. Security Engineer or Analyst
2. Information Security
3. Security Manager or Director
Infrastructure, Networking and Telecommunications
1. Network Engineer / Analyst / Technician
2. Network Administrator
3. Technical Services Manager
Service Desk and IT Support
1. System Administrator
2. Technical Support
3. Desktop / PC Support

How many years of experience do you have in your career?

Years of experience	% of respondents
<1 year	2%
1-5 years	16%
6-10 years	20%
11-15 years	21%
16-20 years	16%
21-25 years	10%
26+ years	14%

Average salary of a professionals who hold a Security+ certification

2020
- $101,769
2019
- $95,629

Average bonus

$7,454.89

What are some of the primary factors that led to an increase in your base salary?

Primary factors that led to a salary increase (select all that apply)	% of respondents
Performance in current job	35%
Standard company increase	27%
Obtained industry certification	18%
Cost of living increase	17%
Developed new skills that were of added value	16%
Promotion and transfer to another company	14%
Promotion within company	12%
Lateral move to another company	11%
Additional responsibilities in current position	9%
New assignment in current company	6%
Other (please specify):	3%

Job Security

50% feel “extremely good”
35% feel “somewhat good”

Job satisfaction

31% are extremely satisfied
42% are somewhat satisfied

Workplace challenges Security+ certified holders experience

Challenges in the workplace (select all that apply)	% of respondents
Access to resources (i.e., budget, people) to help the organization achieve its goals	35%
Unclear job roles and responsibilities	35%
Workload	35%
Lack of career development and growth opportunities	33%
Employee morale	31%
Developing team skills	23%
Communication and working with supervisors	23%
Executing with urgency and excellence	22%
None	10%
Other (please specify):	7%

What other certifications do Security+ certified professionals hold?

Time since last certification earned

0-6 months: 48%
7-12 months: 23%
1-2 years: 18%
3-5 years: 8%
More than 5 years: 4%

Here are the top certification areas and certifications that CompTIA Security+ certified professionals hold

Cisco
- CCNA Routing and Switching (now CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associate)
- CCENT – Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician (now CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associate)
- CCNA Security (now CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associate)
- CCNP Routing and Switching (now CCNP Enterprise)
ISACA
- CISM – Certified Information Security Manager
- CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor
- CRISC – Certified in Risk and Information Systems
Microsoft
- MCSA, MCSE, MCSD which have transitioned to job-role based certifications
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
ITIL and IT Service Management
- ITIL Foundation
- ITIL Service Lifecycle: Service Operation
(ISC)2
- CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- CCSP - Certified Cloud Security Professional
EC-Council
- CEH – Certified Ethical Hacker

Certifications they are pursuing or plan to pursue

- 65% are actively pursuing a certification
- 35% plan to pursue one in the next 12 months
- 83% are pursuing a cybersecurity-related certification

Topics

Technology Providers

Certifications