Your CompTIA A+ Salary Guide

To start a career in information technology (IT), you’ll need a strong grasp of data and computer systems. The information systems you’ll be tasked with developing, implementing, managing, and maintaining will be integral to your future employers’ daily operations. When systems are down, after all, employee productivity comes to a standstill. 

Knowing the importance of such systems, most employers will only hire applicants with the right knowledge, skills, and expertise. But how do they know who that is? One way is to see if an applicant possesses CompTIA A+ certification, an industry-recognized qualification that indicates the certificate holder’s grasp of foundational IT topics like hardware, software, operating systems, networking, and security. Employers are willing to pay a higher-than-average salary even for entry-level roles in the field, to the right candidate. 

Learn about the salary you can expect to earn for various IT jobs you could get with CompTIA A+ certification. Discover several ways to potentially increase your salary and explore some cost-effective, flexible courses you can take to prepare for the CompTIA A+ certification exam. 

CompTIA A+ certification salary 

CompTIA A+ certification indicates your ability to perform a variety of entry-level IT roles, such as business analyst, field service technician, and IT support specialist. As a result, while the certification may improve your earning potential (especially when combined with another qualification like a bachelor’s degree), it’s mostly seen as a stepping stone to a career in the field. Nonetheless, you’ll likely find that even entry-level positions earn a healthy annual salary. 

Review some of the entry-level job titles that you may qualify for with CompTIA A+ certification, along with their average base pay:

• IT support specialist: $56,586 [1]

• Field service technician: $61,908 [2]

• Business analyst: $92,846 [3]

• Help desk technician: $48,478 [4]

• Data support technician: $48,367 [5]

The exact amount you can expect to earn in these positions will vary depending on common factors like your experience and location. Below, you’ll explore how these factors could impact your earning potential.  

Salary by experience 

One of the greatest factors impacting A+ certification pay is your experience level. Take a look at what you can earn for different entry-level IT positions based on your years of experience [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Salary by location 

Another factor that has a big impact on your earning potential is where you work. Typically, you can expect areas with a higher cost of living to pay more than those with a lower cost of living. Below, find the average base pay for the above five jobs in 10 different US cities [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. 

What is the outlook for IT jobs? 

IT jobs have a positive job outlook for the foreseeable future. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs for computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow much faster than average between 2023 and 2033 [11].

Furthermore, the BLS notes that the median pay for jobs in the field was $104,420 as of May 2023, significantly higher than the $48,060 median for all jobs in the country during the same period. 

Generally, entry-level IT jobs meet or exceed the median pay for all jobs in the country, indicating you could expect to make much more as your career progresses. 

Tips to improve your earning power 

CompTIA A+ certification can help you enter the IT field and may even help you earn more, but you’ll find other ways to improve your salary potential, too. Explore some tips on how to increase your earning power:

1. Build your skills. 

More and more businesses are hiring employees based on the skills they have rather than the degrees they hold. According to a report published by Indeed, the number of jobs requiring a degree has decreased steadily over the last decade [12].

In effect, if you want to improve your earning power, it’s wise to continue developing your skills through training and educational programs, such as the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, which may make you even more attractive to employers. 

2. Consider more certifications. 

Certifications have the potential to increase how much you earn. While CompTIA A+ certification might help you get your foot in the door, other qualifications like AWS certification or Google Cloud certification could help you advance your career by demonstrating your platform-specific knowledge. The more experienced and qualified you are, the more an employer will likely pay you for your time and energy. 

3. Consider a degree.

Some positions, particularly advanced positions, may require applicants to possess a college degree. As a result, you might consider gaining either a bachelor’s or master’s degree to improve your earning potential in the field. You can find accredited programs at community, city, state, and private colleges, as well as online through institutions like Illinois Tech. 

What can you do with a CompTIA A+ certification?

Since the CompTIA A+ certification covers such a wide range of knowledge and skills, earning this credential means you can work in various industries and sectors. Some industries include business, health care, and software development. In addition to the roles listed above, you might pursue a role as a cybersecurity analyst, a data scientist, a cloud architect, or a network engineer, among many others.

Prepare for CompTIA A+ certification jobs on Coursera

While various factors may influence your salary as an IT professional, CompTIA A+ certification can help you showcase your expertise and potentially boost your pay. In an IT role, you’ll need to keep up with the latest advancements in the field. Prepare for the CompTIA A+ certification exam, or simply improve your IT skills by taking courses from industry leaders on Coursera. 

Through the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, you can learn to perform day-to-day IT support tasks, including computer assembly, wireless networking, installing programs, and customer service.

With the IBM IT Support Professional Certificate, meanwhile, you may build essential computer networking, cybersecurity, and cloud computing skills that IT support and help desk specialists need to be successful.