Is CySA+ worth it? CompTIA CySA+ for security and SOC analysts
1.5% of cybersecurity analyst job ads in the United States name the CompTIA CySA+ (119 of 8,110, Adzuna, October 2026)
The answer to "is CySA+ worth it" is yes for analysts with about four years of SOC (security operations center) work, which CompTIA recommends for its Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) exam. Beginners should start with Security+, one CompTIA level below. On Adzuna, a job-ad search site, the word CySA appeared in 119 of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads in October 2026.
In the same month, the word appeared in 34 of the 233 US SOC-analyst ads on Adzuna. Our count looks for the word cysa in ads: it catches CySA, CySA+ and CYSA+, but it misses ads that spell out only "Cybersecurity Analyst," CompTIA's full name, so treat it as a lower bound.
CompTIA CySA+ is a security-analyst certification from CompTIA, the company behind Security+. CompTIA says it "validates your ability to detect, analyze, and respond to threats in security operations and vulnerability management roles." In CompTIA's renewal hierarchy, the ranking that decides which certification renews which, it sits above Security+ and below SecurityX, CompTIA's advanced security exam, formerly called CASP+ (CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner).
Verdict by situation:
- Experienced in a SOC or on vulnerability scans (automated checks for known weak spots). CySA+ is the CompTIA exam written for that work, and its $439 voucher (a prepaid code you use to book the exam) is the same price as Security+ in CompTIA's US store.
- Holding Security+ and doing analyst work. If you already handle alerts, logs or scans at work, CySA+ is the next CompTIA step, and its renewal also keeps Security+ current.
- Holding Security+, not yet in an analyst job. Put your effort into landing a first security or IT support job, and take CySA+ once your work involves alerts, logs or scans.
- No security job yet. First pick one entry-level title from our cybersecurity field page, search it on a job site, open ten ads and note which certifications they name. Then book CompTIA Security+ before CySA+: CompTIA's CySA+ blog says taking CySA+ without Security+ is "generally not recommended" unless you already have "substantial cybersecurity experience."
Jump to: cost · exam · renewal · salary · comparison
Show the numbers
| Item | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|
| SIEM | 135 | 58% |
| Splunk | 57 | 24% |
| CompTIA CySA+ | 34 | 15% |
| CISSP | 32 | 14% |
| CEH | 30 | 13% |
| CompTIA Security+ | 17 | 7% |
| SSCP | 9 | 4% |
| ISC2 CC | 0 | 0 of 233 |
Is CompTIA CySA+ worth it for you?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
Rarely named
1.5% of cybersecurity analyst job ads in the United States name CompTIA CySA+ (119 of 8,110 ads).
- Most-named alternative
- CISSP 4.2%
- Skill asked for most
- SIEM 5.1%
- Official exam fee
- $439 source
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
Get your full report
Two optional questions shape your first step. No email needed.
On this page
- Is CompTIA CySA+ worth it in 2026?
- What do US job ads say about CySA+?
- How much does CompTIA CySA+ cost?
- What is on the CySA+ exam?
- How hard is CompTIA CySA+?
- How does CompTIA CySA+ renewal work?
- What does the CySA+ salary data show?
- Does CySA+ count for DoD 8140 and the CISSP experience waiver?
- How does CySA+ compare with Security+, CISSP, CEH and SecurityX?
- Is CySA+ worth it? What Reddit posters say
- Sources
Is CompTIA CySA+ worth it in 2026?
It is worth it for analysts who already do SOC or vulnerability work, the jobs CompTIA wrote it for. CompTIA lists security analyst, SOC analyst, vulnerability analyst, threat intelligence analyst and incident responder among the roles CySA+ prepares you for.
For a beginner, it is the wrong first exam by CompTIA's own measure. The CySA+ page recommends "about 4 years in a SOC analyst or vulnerability analyst role," and CompTIA's blog adds Network+ and Security+ or equivalent knowledge. Neither is required, so you can book the exam today, but the questions assume that experience. One route to it is a first security or IT support job; our cybersecurity-analyst page shows what US security-analyst ads ask for.
Our reading: if you hold Security+ and spend your days on alerts, logs or vulnerability scans, CySA+ matches that work and costs $589 over three years if you pass on the first try. For someone still looking for a first security job, the money goes further on Security+ and the job search.
What do US job ads say about CySA+?
In October 2026, the word cysa appeared in 119 of the 8,110 US ads from an Adzuna search for the job title security analyst. In the same month, it appeared in 34 of the 233 US ads from a search for SOC analyst (Adzuna). Read the two counts side by side: they come from two different job-title searches.
A mention does not tell you whether the employer requires CySA+, prefers it or lists it as one option among several. An ad can also name more than one certification. Our cybersecurity-analyst page and SOC-analyst page show what else those US ads ask for.
Outside the US, the word appeared in 10 of the 235 UK security-analyst ads and in 9 of the 250 India security-analyst ads in October 2026 (Adzuna). Both are small samples, so read them with care.
How much does CompTIA CySA+ cost?
A CySA+ exam voucher costs $439 in CompTIA's US store, or $579 for a voucher with Retake Assurance, an option that by its name covers a retake (comptia.org, checked October 6, 2026). We did not read its terms, so check what it covers before you buy. Keeping the certification adds a $150 continuing education (CE) fee per three-year cycle, the price of keeping it valid.
| CySA+ cost over the first three years | Plain voucher, pass on the first try | Voucher with Retake Assurance | Plain vouchers, pass on the second try |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | $439 | $579 | $878 (two vouchers at $439) |
| CE fee, one three-year cycle | $150 | $150 | $150 |
| Total | $589 | $729 | $1,028 |
Source: CompTIA CySA+ V4 page (US voucher prices) and CompTIA continuing education fee page; dates under Sources. Sums: CertWorthIt. Training is not included.
Retake Assurance costs $140 more than a plain voucher. Two plain vouchers and the Retake Assurance voucher differ by $299 ($878 minus $579), but that difference only matters if the retake is covered in your case. CompTIA's retake policy says you pay the exam price on every attempt; there is no wait between the first and second attempt, and at least 14 calendar days before a third.
If you already hold Security+, one $150 CE fee covers both once you pass CySA+, because CySA+ CE fully renews Security+. Both exams plus that one fee come to $1,028 ($439 for Security+, $439 for CySA+ and $150).
Show the numbers
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Fees to get certified: Exam | $439 |
| Fees to get certified: Renewal, every 3 years | $150 |
What is on the CySA+ exam?
The current exam, CS0-004 (V4), launched June 23, 2026. It has a maximum of 85 questions in 165 minutes, mixing multiple-choice questions with performance-based ones (tasks you carry out in a simulated system), and the passing score is 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. It is offered in English, with French, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese listed as coming soon.
CompTIA splits CS0-004 into four domains (topic areas). {{chart:cs0-004-domains}} Security operations, the daily monitoring and analysis work, carries the most weight, followed by vulnerability management, the finding and fixing of weak spots. CompTIA's blog lists "artificial intelligence (AI) use cases and risks" among the topics of the updated exam.
The older V3 exam, CS0-003, is still available. CompTIA retires the English V3 learning products on November 22, 2026, the English V3 exam on December 22, 2026, and the translated V3 exams on March 23, 2027. Anyone who has studied for V3 should book it well before December 22; anyone starting now should study for CS0-004.
Show the numbers
| Item | |
|---|---|
| Security operations | 34% |
| Vulnerability management | 26% |
| Incident response and management | 24% |
| Reporting and communication | 16% |
How hard is CompTIA CySA+?
CompTIA publishes no pass rate for CySA+, so no official figure measures its difficulty. What CompTIA does publish is the experience it expects: roughly four years of hands-on analyst work in a SOC or on vulnerabilities.
One Reddit poster who passed three earlier CompTIA exams (A+ for IT support, Network+ for networking and Security+) before CySA+ wrote that "cysa+ was easily the hardest exam i’ve taken so far" (r/CompTIA). Another poster who passed wrote "I got 5 PBQs and 65 MCQs" (r/CompTIA), meaning performance-based and multiple-choice questions, and advised practicing log reading. CompTIA does not publish how many performance-based questions to expect, so treat that split as one person's exam. A third poster who held Security+ and CySA+ said A+ had felt harder (r/CompTIA), a reminder that difficulty depends on your background.
On study time, we have no figure: we found no study-time report we could rely on in our Reddit collection. For study material, CompTIA's CS0-004 page lists its own training products, CertMaster Learn, Practice, Labs and Perform, plus bundles that include a Retake Assurance voucher. We did not check their prices and do not rate third-party books. Whatever you buy, check that it covers CS0-004 and not the retiring CS0-003; material labeled CS0-004 is for the current exam, so there is no need to wait.
Show the numbers
| Item | CompTIA CySA+ |
|---|---|
| Questions | 85 questions |
| Exam time | 165 minutes (2 h 45 min) |
| Passing score | 750 (scale 100–900) |
| Format | Multiple choice, performance-based tasks |
| Languages | 1 language |
How does CompTIA CySA+ renewal work?
CySA+ expires after three years unless you renew it. Within each three-year cycle, you earn 60 continuing education units (CEUs, credits for approved learning and work activities) and pay the $150 CE fee, or you complete CertMaster CE, CompTIA's single-activity renewal course.
CompTIA's page on renewing several certifications says CySA+ CE fully renews Security+, Network+ and A+. It does not automatically renew PenTest+, and it does not renew SecurityX. The other direction works: SecurityX CE renews CySA+. CompTIA's CE FAQ adds that if you earn a higher-level certification to meet your renewal, you do not pay CE fees for the lower one.
Show the numbers
| Item | |
|---|---|
| 1. Exam | 85 questions, 165 minutes |
| 2. Certified | valid for 3 years |
| 3. Renewal | 60 CEUs every 3 years |
Show the numbers
| Level | Certification | Experience | Named first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | ISC2 CC | no work experience required | – |
| Entry | Google Cybersecurity | no work experience required | – |
| Entry | IBM Cybersecurity Analyst | beginner course (vendor) | – |
| Associate | SSCP | required: 1 year of work experience | – |
| Professional | CompTIA Security+ | recommended: 2 years of work experience | – |
| Professional | CEH | required: 2 years of work experience | – |
| Professional | CompTIA PenTest+ | recommended: 3 years of work experience | – |
| Professional | CRISC | required: 3 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | CISSP | required: 4 years of work experience on the shortest route (4–5 years, depending on the route) | – |
| Expert | CompTIA CySA+ | recommended: 4 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | CISM | required: 5 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | CISA | required: 5 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | ISO 27001 Lead Implementer / Auditor | required: 5 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) | recommended: 10 years of work experience | – |
What does the CySA+ salary data show?
No source we accept gives a salary for CySA+ holders, so we report the job, not the certification. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gives a median annual wage of $129,180 for information security analysts in May 2025. The median is the middle value: half earned more, half less.
That figure covers every information security analyst, certified or not. BLS notes that "Employers may prefer to hire analysts who have professional certification," but it does not measure what CySA+ adds. BLS also lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education for the job.
Show the numbers
| Country | CompTIA CySA+ | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 17 | 69 | 25% |
| India | 8 | 54 | 15% |
| United States | 34 | 233 | 15% |
Does CySA+ count for DoD 8140 and the CISSP experience waiver?
Both lists name CySA+, within limits. DoD 8140 is the US Department of Defense rule set for qualifying its cyber workforce, so it matters if you want to work in that workforce. CompTIA states it "currently has approval for 7 of their certifications across 30 work roles under DoDM 8140.03, including Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX (Formerly CASP+) and more."
Approval is per work role, not per certification. On CompTIA's alignment page, CySA+ is listed for DoD work roles (job categories in the DoD framework) such as Cyber Defense Analyst, Cyber Defense Incident Responder and Vulnerability Assessment Analyst. Check what the exact position you apply for accepts.
The CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), a senior certification from the certification body ISC2, requires five years of paid work in at least two of its eight domains (subject areas). ISC2 lets one approved credential or a degree waive one of those years (a one-year cut in the required experience), and CompTIA CySA+ is on its approved list. Only one waiver counts: a degree and a credential cannot be combined to cut two years.
Show the numbers
| Country | CompTIA CySA+ | CISSP |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 25% | 10% |
| India | 15% | 15% |
| United States | 15% | 14% |
How does CySA+ compare with Security+, CISSP, CEH and SecurityX?
| Certification | Vendor | Experience (quotation marks: vendor's exact words) | Required or recommended | Exam fee (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CySA+ (CS0-004) | CompTIA | "About 4 years in a SOC analyst or vulnerability analyst role" | Recommended | $439 |
| Security+ (SY0-701) | CompTIA | "CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience working in a security/ systems administrator job role" | Recommended | $439 |
| SecurityX (formerly CASP+) | CompTIA | "minimum of 10 years of general hands-on IT experience, including 5 years of hands-on security" | Recommended | $544 |
| CISSP | ISC2 | Five years of paid work in two or more of eight domains | Required | $749 |
| CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) | EC-Council | Two years of information security work on the self-study route | Required without official training | $950 online, plus a $100 application fee |
Source: CompTIA CySA+, Security+ and SecurityX pages; ISC2 CISSP experience and pricing pages; EC-Council CEH eligibility page. Dates under Sources.
Our pages on the CISSP, the CEH and SecurityX cover each one on its own. The comparison pages go further: CySA+ vs Security+, CISSP vs CySA+, CEH vs CySA+ and CySA+ vs CASP+. For penetration testing (attacking systems with permission to find weak spots), CompTIA PenTest+ sits at the same level as CySA+ in CompTIA's renewal hierarchy.
The same US job-title search, with the word we searched for each certification:
| Certification | Word we searched | US security-analyst ads containing it, October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| CySA+ | cysa |
119 |
| CISSP | cissp |
338 |
| CEH | ceh |
81 |
| SecurityX (CASP+) | casp |
48 |
Source: Adzuna, 8,110 US security-analyst ads, October 2026. Analysis: CertWorthIt. An ad can name more than one certification, and the casp word misses ads that write only SecurityX.
Is CySA+ worth it? What Reddit posters say
The posts we collected ask whether CySA+ is worth it and whether to take Security+ first; CompTIA's own advice answers both: Security+ first, and CySA+ once you have analyst experience. One poster about to take Security+ wrote "Was curious if the CySA is good to couple w/ the Sec+" (r/CompTIA). Others asked whether to focus on Security+ or CySA+ (r/CompTIA) and whether CySA+ is a waste of time without security experience (r/ITCareerQuestions).
A poster partway through the CCNA, Cisco's networking exam, asked whether to pause it and switch to CySA+ to reach SOC jobs sooner (r/ccna). CompTIA's recommendation of about four years of SOC work makes CySA+ a later step, not a faster route, for someone without that experience. Our answer: if the CCNA is nearly done, finish it rather than throw away the study already done, and keep CySA+ for when you work in a SOC. Our CCNA page covers the Cisco exam, which has no prerequisites and a $300 fee.
Another poster asked whether to buy a new study book for V4 or wait for more material (r/CompTIA). V4 launched June 23, 2026, so check any book's exam code before you buy.
Sources
All pages below were read October 12, 2026, unless another date is given.
- CompTIA, CySA+ V4 certification page (exam details, domains, recommended experience, study products): https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst/v4/; US voucher prices checked October 6, 2026
- CompTIA, CySA+ overview page (V3 retirement dates): https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst/
- CompTIA blog, "The new CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+): your questions answered": https://www.comptia.org/en-us/blog/the-new-comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-cysa-your-questions-answered/
- CompTIA, continuing education renewal fees: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/ce/learn/continuing-education-renewal-fees/; earn CEUs: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/ce/learn/earn-continuing-education-units-ceus/; renewing multiple certifications: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/ce/learn/renewing-multiple-certifications/; CE program FAQ: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/ce/learn/comptia-continuing-education-program-faq/
- CompTIA, certification retake policy: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/test-policies/comptia-certification-retake-policy/, read October 8, 2026
- CompTIA, framework alignment (DoDM 8140.03): https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/comptia-framework-alignment/
- CompTIA, Security+ page: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/security/v7/, read October 11, 2026; SecurityX page: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/securityx/
- ISC2, CISSP experience requirements: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/cissp/cissp-experience-requirements; exam pricing: https://www.isc2.org/register-for-exam/isc2-exam-pricing
- EC-Council, CEH eligibility: https://cert.eccouncil.org/application-process-eligibility.html?id=ceh
- Cisco, CCNA certification page: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/certifications/enterprise/ccna/index.html, read October 3, 2026
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, information security analysts: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm, read October 6, 2026
- Job ads: Adzuna, security-analyst and SOC-analyst ads containing the word
cysa, US, UK and India, October 2026. Method - Reddit: posts from r/CompTIA, r/ITCareerQuestions and r/ccna, linked where quoted; no usernames
Questions people ask
Is CompTIA CySA+ worth it, according to Reddit?
The Reddit posts we collected about CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) ask whether to take Security+ first, and our answer is yes unless you already have analyst experience. The posts are individual views, not a survey. One poster who already held three earlier CompTIA exams (A+, Network+ and Security+) called CySA+ the hardest exam they had taken so far, and another asked whether it pairs well with Security+. Our own count is narrower: in October 2026, the word cysa appeared in 119 of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads on Adzuna, a job-ad search site. That word misses ads that spell out only Cybersecurity Analyst, so the count is a lower bound.
Is CySA plus worth it without experience?
Not as a first certification, by CompTIA's own advice. CompTIA recommends about four years in a SOC analyst or vulnerability analyst role before CySA+ (CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst); a SOC, or security operations center, is the team that watches an organization's systems for attacks. There is no required prerequisite. Still, CompTIA's CySA+ blog says taking it without Security+ is "generally not recommended" unless you already have "substantial cybersecurity experience." Without that experience, Security+ ($439 for a voucher in CompTIA's US store in October 2026) is the CompTIA exam to start with.
Should I take Security+ or CySA+ first?
Security+ first, unless you already work in security. CompTIA recommends Network+ and two years as a security or systems administrator for Security+, and four or so years of SOC (security operations center) or vulnerability work for CySA+ (CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst). Both vouchers cost $439 in CompTIA's US store in October 2026. Because CySA+ continuing education fully renews Security+, one $150 continuing education fee every three years covers both.
Is CySA+ difficult?
CompTIA publishes no pass rate for CySA+ (CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst), so there is no official measure of difficulty. The CS0-004 exam has a maximum of 85 multiple-choice and performance-based questions (tasks you carry out in a simulated system) in 165 minutes, and you need 750 on a scale of 100 to 900 to pass. One Reddit poster who held three earlier CompTIA exams (A+, Network+ and Security+) called it the hardest exam they had taken so far.
How long does it take to get CompTIA CySA+?
We have no reliable study-time figure for CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst): CompTIA's page gives none, and we found no study-time report in our Reddit collection that we could quote. CySA+ takes one exam, CS0-004, of 165 minutes. CompTIA recommends, but does not require, about four years of analyst work first (CompTIA CySA+ page, read October 12, 2026).
Does CompTIA CySA+ expire?
Yes. CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) runs on a three-year renewal cycle. To renew it, you earn 60 continuing education units (CEUs, credits for approved learning and work activities) within the cycle and pay a $150 continuing education fee for the three years. The other route is CertMaster CE, CompTIA's single-activity renewal course (CompTIA continuing education pages, read October 12, 2026). Renewing CySA+ also fully renews Security+, Network+ and A+ (CompTIA's security, networking and IT support exams).
What is the CompTIA CySA+ salary?
No source we accept gives a salary for CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) holders. The closest official figure is for the job: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a median annual wage of $129,180 for information security analysts in May 2025. The median is the middle value, so half earned more and half less. That figure covers all analysts, with or without CySA+, so it does not show what the certification adds to pay.
Should I study for CySA+ V3 or V4?
The current CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) exam is CS0-004, called V4, which launched June 23, 2026. CompTIA retires the English V3 exam, CS0-003, on December 22, 2026, and its English V3 learning products on November 22, 2026; translated V3 exams retire on March 23, 2027. If you will take the exam in English after December 22, 2026, study for CS0-004.