Key Takeaways
- CompTIA A+ prepares you for entry-level IT roles: IT support specialist, helpdesk technician, desktop support technician, and field service technician.
- The median annual wage for computer user support specialists was $61,860 in May 2025.
- Going from A+ to Network+ to Security+ moves you from support into security work, where the median annual wage for information security analysts was $129,180 in May 2025.
- For veterans, A+ is approved under DoD 8140 for technical support specialist, system administrator, and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist work roles.
- The Cyber Warrior Program builds on it with Network+, Security+, and CySA+ plus career services.
CompTIA A+ certification is what employers look for when they hire people to keep computers, users, and small networks running. It won’t put you in a security operations center on day one, but A+ will get you into IT, where you start building the experience every later role assumes you have. This guide covers the jobs A+ opens up, what they pay according to federal data, and where the path leads next.
Table of Contents
- Entry-Level IT Jobs You Can Get With CompTIA A+
- CompTIA A+ Salary Expectations
- Career Growth: Where A+ Takes You Next
- FAQs
Entry-Level IT Jobs You Can Get With CompTIA A+
A+ prepares you for four entry-level roles that share the same core skills: troubleshooting hardware and software, supporting users, and keeping devices running. What changes from role to role is how and where you work, from handling tickets remotely at a helpdesk to repairing equipment on-site across several client locations. Pay for each role is covered in the salary section that follows.
IT Support Specialist
IT support specialists are first-line technical support. They troubleshoot hardware and software, set up workstations, and manage user accounts. Every industry needs this role, which makes it the most portable job A+ prepares you for.
Helpdesk Technician
Helpdesk technicians work the support ticket queue, troubleshooting remotely or on-site and documenting each fix so the next person doesn’t have to solve it again. Corporate and government IT teams both commonly hire people into IT this way.
Desktop Support Technician
Desktop support keeps laptops and desktops working. That covers imaging machines, deploying software, replacing hardware, and supporting users at their desks. Large organizations with big device fleets hire for it steadily.
Field Service Technician
Field service technicians install, maintain, and repair hardware on-site, often across several client locations. The job involves travel and suits people who would rather be hands-on than at a desk.
CompTIA A+ Salary Expectations
When it comes to the typical A+-level support role, median annual wage for computer user support specialists was $61,860 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,980, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $100,540.*
| Percentile | Annual salary |
| 10th percentile | $40,980 |
| Median | $61,860 |
| 90th percentile | $100,540 |
Where you work changes the number. In federal government, the median for computer user support specialists was $77,180. Specializing helps as well. The median annual wage for computer network support specialists was $76,220 in May 2025. Network+ is the certification that prepares you for that role.
Career Growth: Where A+ Takes You Next
Each CompTIA certification after A+ lines up with a more senior role. BLS doesn’t track pay by certification, so the occupations below are the nearest federal match for each tier.*
| Certification | Typical role | BLS occupation | Median salary (May 2025) |
| A+ | Helpdesk, desktop support | Computer user support specialists | $61,860 |
| Network+ | Network support, junior admin | Network and computer systems administrators | $99,130 |
| Security+ | Security analyst | Information security analysts | $129,180 |
| CySA+ | SOC analyst, vulnerability analyst | Information security analysts | $129,180 |
| SecurityX | Security architect | Computer network architects | $134,050 |
MyComputerCareer’s Cyber Warrior Program is built around the first four steps. It covers A+, Network+, Security+, and CySA+ in a single track, with live instruction, lab access, and career services after you certify.
Explore the Cyber Warrior Program
FAQs
Can I get an IT job with just CompTIA A+?
Yes. A+ alone qualifies you for entry-level roles like helpdesk technician, desktop support technician, and IT support specialist. Adding Network+ or Security+ widens the set of jobs you can apply for and raises the pay ceiling.
What is the job outlook for CompTIA A+ certified professionals?
Employment of computer support specialists is projected to decline 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, but about 48,700 openings are still expected each year, all from replacing workers who move into other occupations or leave the labor force. That turnover is the career path at work: people start in support and move up into fields like information security, where employment is projected to grow 21 percent over the same decade.
Is CompTIA A+ enough to start a cybersecurity career?
A+ gives you the IT foundation cybersecurity builds on, but on its own it’s a support credential, not a security one. On CompTIA’s pathway, Security+ is the step into security work, with Network+ in between.