Security+ vs CISSP salary — what’s the difference?

CISSP roles pay more, but mainly because CISSP holders are senior (five-plus years of experience), not because the cert adds a fixed amount. Security+ reflects entry-level pay; CISSP reflects senior/management pay. It’s not a like-for-like comparison.

Do I need both Security+ and CISSP?

Many security professionals earn Security+ early and CISSP years later, so yes, holding both over a career is common. You don’t need both at once — get the one that fits your stage now. And since Security+ waives a year of CISSP’s experience requirement, doing it first has a concrete payoff later.

Security+ vs CISSP: Which to Get, and When?

Q: Should I get Security+ or CISSP first?

Security+ first, almost always. It’s entry-level with no prerequisites, while CISSP requires five years of experience to fully certify. Get Security+ to break in, build experience, then pursue CISSP later. They’re sequential steps, not an either/or choice.

Q: Can I skip Security+ and go straight to CISSP?

You can sit the CISSP exam and become an Associate of ISC2 without experience, but you won’t be a full CISSP until you have five years. For most people, Security+ first is smarter — it’s far cheaper, gets you hired, and (bonus) counts as an approved certification that waives one year of the CISSP experience requirement.

Q: Is CISSP harder than Security+?

Considerably. Security+ is an entry-level exam (up to 90 questions, 90 minutes). CISSP is a broad, senior-level adaptive exam (100–150 questions, 3 hours) across eight domains that assumes real working experience and a "think like a manager" mindset. Most people take Security+ in weeks and CISSP in months.

Updated: June 2026 · Read time: 8 min · Level: Beginner

This comparison confuses people because Security+ and CISSP aren't really competitors — they're at opposite ends of a career. Security+ is where you start; CISSP is where you arrive years later. So the real question isn't "which is better?" but "which one fits where I am right now?" Here's the clear answer.

The short answer

Breaking in / early career? Security+. Entry-level, no prerequisites, gets you hired.
Five-plus years in security, targeting senior/management? CISSP.
In between? Security+ now (if you don't have it), then build experience toward CISSP.

And a useful fact that settles the order: Security+ counts as an approved certification that waives one year of CISSP's experience requirement. Doing Security+ first literally shortens your road to CISSP.

Side by side

	CompTIA Security+	CISSP (ISC2)
Level	Entry	Senior / management
Prerequisite	None	5 years of experience
Exam	Up to 90 Q (MC + performance-based), 90 min	Adaptive, 100–150 Q, 3 hours
Passing	750 / 900	700 / 1000
Cost	~$425 (one-time)	~$749 + $135/year upkeep
Focus	Broad defensive basics	Broad security management
Study time	Weeks (6–12)	Months (3–5)
DoD 8140	Yes	Yes

⚠️ Confirm current details on the official CompTIA and ISC2 pages.

They're a sequence, not a rivalry

Think of a typical security career:

Security+  →  experience (2–5 yrs)  →  CISSP
 (get in)      (do the work)          (lead / specialize)

Security+ proves you understand the fundamentals. It's the credential that gets you your first security job and satisfies the DoD baseline for entry roles.
CISSP proves you can think at a management/architect level across the whole security landscape. It's what employers want for senior roles — and you can't fully earn it until you have five years of experience.

Trying to start with CISSP is like applying for a senior role on day one. You can pass the exam early (you'd become an Associate of ISC2 and certify fully once you hit five years), but Security+ is the far more practical first move.

Which is harder?

Not close — CISSP is much harder, but mostly because of scope and assumed experience, not trick questions:

Security+ is entry-level: broad basics, learnable from scratch in a couple of months.
CISSP is senior: an adaptive, 3-hour exam across eight domains that rewards real-world judgment ("think like a manager"). It's hard to fake without experience.

If you're new, that difficulty gap is exactly why Security+ comes first.

On salary

You'll see CISSP salaries far above Security+ numbers — but that's not a fair head-to-head. CISSP holders are senior people with years of experience, so they earn senior pay. Security+ reflects early-career roles. The cert isn't a salary multiplier you bolt on; it matches a stage. (Details: CISSP salary · Security+ salary.)

So, your move

No security job yet / early career: get Security+. Add hands-on practice and aim for a first role.
A few years in, climbing: keep building experience; consider passing CISSP early as an Associate to lock in the exam.
5+ years, going senior: pursue CISSP — it's built for exactly your stage.

Either way, Security+ first is rarely the wrong call — and it shaves a year off your CISSP requirement down the line.

FAQ

Should I get Security+ or CISSP first? Security+ first, almost always — it's entry-level with no prerequisites, while CISSP needs five years of experience. They're sequential steps.

Can I skip Security+ and go straight to CISSP? You can pass the CISSP exam as an Associate of ISC2 without experience, but you won't be a full CISSP for five years. Security+ first is cheaper, gets you hired, and waives a year of CISSP's experience requirement.

Is CISSP harder than Security+? Much harder — a broad, senior, adaptive exam that assumes real experience, versus Security+'s entry-level scope. Weeks of study for Security+, months for CISSP.

Security+ vs CISSP salary? CISSP pays more, but because its holders are senior and experienced — not a like-for-like comparison. Security+ reflects entry-level pay.

Do I need both? Holding both over a career is common: Security+ early, CISSP later. You don't need both at once — and Security+ first has a concrete payoff (a one-year experience waiver toward CISSP).

→ Full guides: Security+ (SY0-701) · CISSP · Is CISSP worth it?

Figures are from CompTIA, ISC2, and public sources (2026) and change over time. Confirm current details on the official sites before you commit.