1$141k median salary
Validates knowledge of enterprise security architecture and engineering, including governance, risk, compliance and security operations.
544AdvancedNo prerequisites
Highest-Paying CompTIA Certifications in 2026
8 CompTIA certifications ranked by median salary in US job postings that ask for them.
2$130k median salary
Validates knowledge of security operations, including alert and log analysis, vulnerability prioritization, incident handling and reporting.
439IntermediateNo prerequisites
3$127k median salary
Validates knowledge of security threats, protective controls, risk management and incident response across modern IT environments.
439EntryNo prerequisites
4$127k median salary
Validates knowledge of cloud architecture, deployment, operations, security, DevOps fundamentals and troubleshooting across multi-vendor cloud environments.
399IntermediateNo prerequisites
5$122k median salary
Validates practical skills in planning, performing and reporting penetration tests, from scoping and reconnaissance to exploitation and post-exploitation.
439IntermediateNo prerequisites
6$121k median salary
Validates knowledge of Linux system management, services and users, security, automation and scripting, and troubleshooting.
399IntermediateNo prerequisites
7$93k median salary
Validates knowledge of networking concepts, implementation, operations, security and troubleshooting for managing and supporting modern networks.
399EntryNo prerequisites
8$63k median salary
Validates foundational IT support knowledge across hardware, operating systems, networking, security and troubleshooting common technical problems.
548EntryNo prerequisites
Median annual advertised pay in US postings that mention each certification, Sep 2025–Aug 2026. Source