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Is CompTIA Security+ Worth It in 2026? Jobs, Salary, DoD 8140

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Key Facts

  • DoD's 8140 Qualification Matrix V2.1, effective September 19, 2025, lists CompTIA Security+ at the Intermediate level for 20 DCWF work roles. Source: DoD CIO.
  • DoDM 8140.03 took effect February 15, 2023, and gave DoD civilians and Service members in cybersecurity work roles two years to qualify. Source: DoD.
  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $129,180 for Information Security Analysts. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
  • BLS projects 21% employment growth for Information Security Analysts from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average occupation. Source: BLS OOH.
  • The Security+ SY0-701 exam is version V7, has a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, and requires a scaled score of 750 out of 900. Source: CompTIA.
  • The CompTIA Security+ exam voucher is listed at $439 USD in CompTIA's U.S. store as of October 2026. Source: CompTIA.
  • CompTIA retires the English SY0-701 exam on June 11, 2027, and its Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai versions on August 13, 2027. Source: CompTIA.
  • CompTIA expects Security+ V8, exam code SY0-801, to launch on or around November 17, 2026. Source: CompTIA.
  • Security+ certification is valid for three years and renews with 50 continuing education units or by earning a higher CompTIA credential. Source: CompTIA.
  • DFARS Class Deviation 2026-O0024 (effective 2026-02-01) strikes the DFARS 239.7103(b) prescription for clause 252.239-7001. Source: DoD DPCAP.

Is CompTIA Security+ Worth It in 2026? The Short Answer

Yes for most people building a security or government IT career, with three honest exceptions. CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) is listed in DoD's 8140 qualification matrix for 20 DoD Cyber Workforce Framework work roles, and it sits in a field where the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median wage of $129,180 for Information Security Analysts with 21% projected growth from 2025 to 2035 . Against a $439 U.S. exam voucher , that is a strong return.

It is not worth it if (1) you already hold a higher or overlapping security cert, (2) you have years of hands-on experience recruiters already recognize, or (3) you have zero IT fundamentals and would be better served learning networking and operating systems first.

This post is a career and compliance decision guide, not a study plan. If you want the domain breakdown and study order, read Security+ SY0-701 domain weights and study order . If you are still deciding between Security+ and a free entry cert, see ISC2 CC vs CompTIA Security+: which first .

Test where you stand first: Try our free Security+ practice questions before you spend a cent on a voucher.

The Decision in One Table

Your situation Is Security+ worth it? Why

Career changer with some IT (help desk, sysadmin) Yes Clears resume filters, opens SOC/security-admin interviews

Targeting a DoD or defense-contractor cyber role Yes, if the role lists it DoD's 8140 matrix lists it for 20 work roles

Active-duty / transitioning military Yes DoD 8140 qualification option plus civilian-side recognition

Student aiming at a first security job Yes, pair with labs Recruiter recognition + a credential to anchor a thin resume

Zero IT background, no networking basics Not yet Learn fundamentals first; exam and job market are brutal otherwise

Already hold a higher/overlapping security cert No Marginal resume value; spend effort on a role-specific next cert

5+ years hands-on security, recognized track record Usually no Experience already clears filters; cert adds little

What Security+ Actually Unlocks: Jobs

Security+ is an interview key , not a salary guarantee. It clears automated resume filters, can satisfy the certification part of DoD 8140 work-role qualification, and signals baseline competence. Here is the realistic job map:

SOC Analyst (Tier 1): monitoring, alert triage, escalation. The most common first security role Security+ supports.

Security Administrator / Systems Administrator (security duties): patching, hardening, access control, identity.

Junior Cybersecurity Analyst: vulnerability tracking, basic IR support, control checks.

Security Operations / Cyber Defense Support: log review, ticket handling, tooling support.

Government & defense-contractor roles: any position whose assigned DCWF work role accepts Security+ as a qualifying certification under DoD 8140.

What Security+ does not do on its own: land senior, architecture, or specialized roles. Those need hands-on evidence, scripting, and usually a higher or role-specific credential. Treat Security+ as the credential that gets the interview and treat practice and projects as what gets the offer.

What Security+ Actually Pays: Honest Salary Reality

Be careful with salary claims online. Many "Security+ salary" numbers quote the BLS occupation-wide figure, which mixes senior people into the average. Here is the honest framing:

Occupation benchmark: the U.S. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $129,180 for Information Security Analysts as a whole occupation. That number includes mid and senior practitioners, not entry-level Security+ holders.

Entry-level reality: BLS reports that the lowest-paid 10 percent of information security analysts earned less than $75,090 in May 2025. SOC tier-1 and security-administration roles usually sit below the occupation median, depending on metro area, prior IT experience, and clearance.

The credential's salary impact is real but indirect: it gets you into roles that are on a steep growth curve (21% projected occupation growth 2025-2035 per BLS).

Want to verify the wage and growth numbers yourself? They come straight from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for Information Security Analysts .

DoD 8140 / DoDM 8140.03: The Part Most Guides Get Wrong

If your goal is a federal or defense-contractor cyber job, this section is the reason Security+ is worth it , and many older posts still describe the cancelled 8570 system.

What changed: 8570 to 8140

The legacy DoD 8570 Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program used baseline certifications organized by category and level, such as IAT Levels I-III and IAM Levels I-III . You found your level, picked an approved cert, and you were compliant.

That model was replaced. DoDM 8140.03, "Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program," took effect February 15, 2023 and cancelled DoD 8570.01-M. It gave DoD civilian employees and Service members in cybersecurity work roles two years (to February 2025) to qualify, and those in IT, cyber effects, intelligence, and enabler work roles three years (to February 2026). DoD says there is no crosswalk between the old 8570 categories and the new work roles.

Contractors moved later. From February 1, 2026 , DFARS Class Deviation 2026-O0024 strikes the DFARS 239.7103(b) prescription for clause 252.239-7001. A May 27, 2026 Department of War CIO memo directs components to hold contractor personnel to DCWF work-role qualification requirements and to update contracts accordingly.

How 8140 actually works now

DoDM 8140.03 does not map a cert to "IAT Level II." It qualifies a person against a specific DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) work role at a proficiency level (Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced):

Foundational qualification: one option from education, DoD or commercial training, or a personnel certification (commercial certs like Security+ live here); experience can substitute in limited cases

Residential qualification: on-the-job qualification in the work environment

Continuous professional development: at least 20 hours a year, or what the certification requires if that is more

DoD civilians and Service members must meet the foundational requirement within 9 months of assignment and the residential requirement within 12 months. Contractors must meet the foundational requirement when their cyber work starts.

So the modern question is not "what level am I?" It is " what DCWF work role is my position coded to, and what proficiency level must I meet? " Your certification is one way to satisfy the foundational part of that role's requirement.

Where Security+ fits in the 8140 model

DoD's 8140 Qualification Matrix V2.1 (effective September 19, 2025) lists Security+ at the Intermediate proficiency level for 20 DCWF work roles ; one of them, Systems Security Analyst (461), is marked pending validation. A certification approved at a higher proficiency level also covers the lower levels of the same role, so Security+ counts at Basic for those roles too. Examples include System Administrator (451), Cyber Defense Analyst (511), Cyber Defense Incident Responder (531), Vulnerability Assessment Analyst (541), Security Control Assessor (612), and Information Systems Security Manager (722) . CompTIA reports approval for seven of its certifications across 30 work roles (Source: CompTIA certification-to-framework alignment ).

DoD 8570 (cancelled) DoDM 8140.03 What it means for Security+

Baseline certs by IAT, IAM, or IASAE category and level I-III Qualification by DCWF work role and Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced proficiency Listed at Intermediate for 20 work roles

One cert table for everyone A qualification matrix for each work role Check the matrix for your role code

The certification was the qualification Education, training, or certification, plus on-the-job qualification Satisfies the foundational part only

Keep the certification current At least 20 hours of continuous professional development a year, or the certification's own requirement if greater Keep the CompTIA CE cycle current

Action step: before you assume Security+ qualifies you for a specific DoD job, confirm two things: (1) the DCWF work role code and proficiency level on the position description, and (2) that work role's current options in the official DoD 8140 qualification matrix in DoD's 8140 document library . DoD updates the matrix from time to time; never rely on a blog (including this one) as the final authority for a compliance decision.

ROI vs Cost: Run the Real Math

The exam fee is the smallest part of the decision. Here is the honest cost stack and the return:

True cost in 2026

  • Cost item Typical 2026 figure
  • Security+ exam voucher $439 USD (CompTIA U.S. list price; varies by region)
  • Optional voucher + retake bundle Higher; sold by CompTIA
  • Study materials $0 (free resources exist) up to a few hundred dollars
  • Continuing education $150 CE fee per three-year cycle + 50 CEUs (no annual payment required)
  • Your time 50-90 study hours for most candidates

The voucher price is the headline number competitors fixate on, but your time and whether you pair it with hands-on skill is the real cost . A passed exam with no lab experience converts to interviews far worse than a passed exam plus a home lab and a few documented projects.

The return

The payoff is not a fixed dollar number; it is access . Security+ converts a filtered-out resume into an interviewed candidate for roles in a field BLS projects to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035 . For DoD cyber positions it can be decisive: a certification is one of the foundational qualification options for the position's work role, DoD civilians and Service members must meet that foundational requirement within 9 months of assignment, and contractors must meet it when their cyber work starts.

Bottom line: if you will actually apply to roles that value or require it, the voucher is a rounding error against the first paycheck. If you are collecting certs without applying, no certification has good ROI.

Who Should Take Security+ (and When)

Take it now if you are:

A career changer with some IT exposure (help desk, sysadmin, networking) ready to move into security.

Targeting any DoD or defense-contractor role whose DCWF work role accepts it.

Transitioning military who want a DoD 8140 qualification that civilian employers also recognize.

A student with a thin resume who needs a recognized credential to anchor it, and is willing to build a lab.

Wait if you are:

New to IT entirely. Learn networking and operating-system fundamentals first. A free entry credential like ISC2 CC is a gentler on-ramp; see the ISC2 CC vs Security+ comparison .

Skip it if you:

Already hold a higher or overlapping security certification recruiters recognize.

Have a multi-year hands-on track record that already clears filters.

Are targeting a specialized track where a role-specific cert is the better spend.

Exam Facts You Need for the Decision (Not a Study Plan)

You do not need the full blueprint to decide whether it is worth it, but these logistics affect timing and cost:

  • Detail Fact
  • Current version SY0-701 (V7)
  • Questions Maximum of 90, multiple choice + performance-based
  • Time limit 90 minutes
  • Passing score 750 on a 100-900 scale
  • Launched November 7, 2023
  • Retirement English June 11, 2027; Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai August 13, 2027
  • Next version SY0-801 (V8), expected on or around November 17, 2026
  • Validity 3 years
  • Renewal 50 CEUs over the cycle or a higher CompTIA cert

Sources: CompTIA Security+ certification page and Security+ V7 exam details .

Timing note: SY0-701 stays available in English until June 11, 2027, and SY0-801 is expected on or around November 17, 2026, so both versions are available for about seven months. Candidates who are close to ready on SY0-701 generally benefit from sitting it rather than restarting on the new objectives. A certificate earned on SY0-701 stays valid for its full three-year cycle; the version change does not invalidate existing holders.

The Honest Verdict

Security+ in 2026 is worth it for the people it is designed for : early-career and transitioning professionals who will actually apply to security or government IT roles and who pair the credential with hands-on practice. Its strongest, least-replaceable value is DoD 8140 qualification : DoD's matrix lists it for 20 work roles, where it can satisfy the foundational part of qualification. Its salary value is real but indirect: it buys access to a fast-growing field, not an instant six-figure offer.

It is not a universal yes. If you already hold a stronger credential, have a recognized track record, or lack IT fundamentals, your effort is better spent elsewhere.

Make the decision evidence-based. Take a free Security+ practice set to see if you are close, then build your study plan from the Security+ domain-weight guide .

Next Steps

Confirm fit: match your situation to the decision table above.

If federal/defense is the goal: look up the position's DCWF work role and verify accepted certs in the official DoD 8140 qualification matrices.

Diagnose readiness: take free Security+ practice questions .

Plan study: use the Security+ SY0-701 domain-weight and study-order guide .

Still deciding between certs: read ISC2 CC vs CompTIA Security+: which first .

  • Official Sources
  • CompTIA Security+ certification page
  • CompTIA certification-to-framework (DoD 8140 DCWF) alignment
  • CompTIA: what DoD 8140 means
  • DoD 8140 document library and qualification matrix (DoD CIO Workforce Innovation Directorate)
  • DoDM 8140.03, Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program
  • DFARS Class Deviation 2026-O0024 (DFARS Part 239)
  • BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Information Security Analysts