CCNA vs Security+: which should you take?
In the CCNA vs Security+ decision, choose by the job you want next. The CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) fits network-engineer jobs: it appeared in 1,557 of the 9,475 US network-engineer ads in October 2026 on Adzuna, a job-ad search site. CompTIA Security+ fits security-analyst jobs: it appeared in 112 of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads that month and also appeared in IT-support ads.
The CCNA is Cisco's networking certification at associate level, the step below its professional level: one exam, titled Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions. CompTIA Security+ is CompTIA's general security certification, which CompTIA calls "the premier global certification" for core security functions. On the vendor pages we read, neither sets a required prerequisite. In the US the CCNA exam costs $300 and the Security+ voucher, a prepaid exam code, costs $439. Both credentials last three years.
Show the numbers
| Item | CCNA | CompTIA Security+ |
|---|---|---|
| Exam time | 120 minutes (2 h) | 90 minutes (1 h 30 min) |
| Passing score | not published by Cisco | 750 (scale 100–900) |
| Languages | English, Japanese | 5 languages |
CCNA or CompTIA Security+: which do employers name more?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
CCNA is named in more job ads in the United States.
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
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On this page
- Should you take the CCNA or Security+?
- Which job ads name the CCNA, and which name Security+?
- CompTIA Security+ vs CCNA: which is better for a first IT job?
- What does each exam cover?
- Do you need experience before the CCNA or Security+?
- Which should you take first: CCNA, Security+ or Network+?
- How much do the CCNA and Security+ cost?
- Does the CCNA or Security+ expire?
- What changes with the new Security+ version (V8)?
- What do Reddit posters ask about the CCNA and Security+?
- What comes after the CCNA or Security+?
- What we did not check
- Sources
Should you take the CCNA or Security+?
Take the CCNA if your next job is on a network team, and Security+ if it is in security or IT support. Here is how that plays out by situation.
- No IT job and no target job yet: spend one evening on a job board. Search your city for
network engineer,security analystandhelp desk, open ten ads of each, and note which credentials they name. Take the one that keeps coming up for the job you would accept first. If it is help desk (the team that answers staff computer problems) and the ads name A+ (CompTIA's IT-support certification), our A+ vs Security+ comparison covers that start. - Aiming for a network-engineer job: take the CCNA, the credential we count in network-engineer ads.
- Aiming for a security-analyst job: take Security+. Add the CCNA later if the team you join runs Cisco equipment.
- Working on a help desk: check which credentials your target ads name. We count Security+, not the CCNA, in IT-support ads; the first-IT-job section has the counts by country.
- Already passed the CCNA and moving toward security: Security+ adds the security half. One r/CompTIA poster wrote, "Just passed my CCNA, want to do sec+ to boost my resume" (r/CompTIA).
- Unsure about your networking basics: CompTIA's own order is Network+ (its networking certification), then Security+. The section on which to take first compares the orders.
Once you have chosen, open the official exam topics linked in the exam section below and check which ones you already know.
Which job ads name the CCNA, and which name Security+?
The CCNA shows up in network-engineer ads, and Security+ in security-analyst and IT-support ads. We count job ads by title on Adzuna and check which ones contain each credential's phrase anywhere in the text. We count the CCNA only in network-engineer ads and Security+ only in security-analyst and IT-support ads. The two counts therefore come from different jobs and are not a ranking of one credential against the other: choose by the job you are aiming for.
CCNA in network-engineer ads. Of the 9,475 US network-engineer ads we counted in October 2026, 1,557 contained ccna (Adzuna). The CCNA also appeared in 74 of the 658 UK network-engineer ads and 121 of the 775 Indian ones. Of the 260 Brazilian ads titled analista de redes, 32 named it. Germany and France use other titles: the CCNA appeared in 29 of the 535 German Netzwerkadministrator ads and 14 of the 788 French ingénieur réseau ads.
Security+ in security-analyst ads. Of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads we counted, 112 contained comptia security (Adzuna). The phrase also appeared in 12 of the 235 UK security-analyst ads and 8 of the 250 Indian ones. Of the 434 Brazilian ads titled analista de segurança, 2 contained it.
Three limits apply to these counts. The phrase ccna also matches Cisco's CCNA Cybersecurity and CCNA Automation. The phrase comptia security misses ads that write only Security+ or Sec+, so read the Security+ counts as a minimum. An ad that names a credential may list it as required, preferred or one of several options. The full method is on our methodology page.
CompTIA Security+ vs CCNA: which is better for a first IT job?
For IT-support ads, Security+ is the one of the two that we count: it appeared in 34 of the 2,745 US IT-support ads in October 2026 (Adzuna). Here are the US, UK and Indian counts side by side.
| Country | IT-support ads counted | Containing comptia security |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2,745 | 34 |
| United Kingdom | 1,286 | 1 |
| India | 259 | 1 |
Source: Adzuna API, job ads with the title it support collected in October 2026. Analysis: CertWorthIt. The UK and Indian counts are very small; read them with care.
The CCNA fits a first job when that job is on a network team, such as a junior network technician role. Our reading: if you have no IT experience, neither credential replaces the two years of work that CompTIA's Security+ recommendation assumes, so start with the job-board check at the top of this page. Our IT-support role page lists every credential IT-support ads name, and our cybersecurity-analyst page does the same for security analysts.
What does each exam cover?
The CCNA tests how to build and run a network on Cisco equipment; Security+ tests how to protect systems and respond to threats. Each vendor publishes the weight of every topic area in its exam blueprint, the official list of exam topics: Cisco for CCNA exam 200-301 and CompTIA for Security+ exam SY0-701.
| CCNA area (200-301 v1.1) | Share of the exam |
|---|---|
| Network fundamentals | 20% |
| Network access | 20% |
| IP connectivity | 25% |
| IP services | 10% |
| Security fundamentals | 15% |
| Automation and programmability | 10% |
Source: Cisco's 200-301 v1.1 exam topics.
| Security+ domain (SY0-701) | Share of the exam |
|---|---|
| General security concepts | 12% |
| Threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations | 22% |
| Security architecture | 18% |
| Security operations | 28% |
| Security program management and oversight | 20% |
Source: CompTIA Security+ V7 page.
IP connectivity, the largest CCNA area, is mostly routing: how traffic finds its way between networks. The CCNA's security area includes configuring access control lists (rules that allow or block traffic) and describing IPsec VPNs (encrypted links between sites or for remote users). All of Security+ is about security; its largest domain, security operations, covers the daily work of a security team.
The formats differ too. The CCNA lasts 120 minutes and is graded pass/fail, with no published passing score. Security+ has up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions (tasks in a simulated system), and you need 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. Cisco's exam page lists the CCNA in English and Japanese, while its certification page lists English only. Security+ is offered in English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai.
Study time: Reddit self-reports give a median (middle value) of 3.5 months for the CCNA (n=15) and 2 months for Security+ (n=13).
Do you need experience before the CCNA or Security+?
For the CCNA, Cisco asks for none; for Security+, CompTIA recommends experience but does not make it a condition. The two vendors word it this way:
| CCNA (Cisco) | Security+ (CompTIA) | |
|---|---|---|
| What the vendor page says | "Prerequisites: None" | "Recommended experience: CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience working in a security/ systems administrator job role" |
| Can you book the exam without it? | Yes | Yes; the page has no prerequisite line |
So on paper Cisco sets the lower bar, and CompTIA expects you to arrive with networking knowledge and work time. The CCNA's own content is networking, so a CCNA holder brings the networking part of CompTIA's recommendation, though not the Network+ credential itself. Neither vendor's page mentions the other's certification.
Which should you take first: CCNA, Security+ or Network+?
Take first the credential that the ads for your next job name. Four orders make sense:
- CCNA first, Security+ later. For a network job, start with the CCNA, then add Security+ when you move toward security work.
- Security+ first, CCNA later. For a security-analyst or IT-support job, start with Security+. One r/ccna poster laid out this plan: "The plan was to get Sec+ this summer and by the end of Summer 2027 I'd have CCNA" (r/ccna).
- Network+, then Security+. This is CompTIA's recommended order. When you earn Security+, it also renews Network+. Our Network+ page covers that credential, and our CCNA vs Network+ comparison explains when to pick the Cisco exam instead.
- Both. One attempt at each costs $739 in the US ($300 + $439). Take the one your next job names first; the second one can wait until the job after that.
How much do the CCNA and Security+ cost?
In the US, the CCNA exam costs $300 (Cisco list price) and the Security+ voucher $439 (CompTIA store). Prices outside the US differ; we checked only the US prices.
| CCNA | Security+ | |
|---|---|---|
| First attempt (US) | $300 | $439 voucher |
| If you fail | $300 again unless you bought Cisco's CCNA Exam Safeguard, after a wait of five calendar days | $579 voucher with Retake Assurance (a second attempt included, bought up front) |
| Renewal after three years | $300 to pass an associate exam again, or CE credits, Cisco's continuing education points (cost depends on the training) | $150 CE fee plus 50 CEUs, CompTIA's continuing education units; or CertMaster CE, CompTIA's renewal course; or a higher CompTIA certification |
| First exam plus first renewal | $300 + $300 = $600 | $439 + $150 = $589, plus the cost of the 50 CEUs |
Source: Cisco CCNA exam page and recertification page; CompTIA Security+ page and renewal-fee page (links in Sources).
If you hold both and renew the CCNA by exam and Security+ with the CE fee, the first three-year cycle comes to $1,189 ($600 + $589), before CEU activities and study material.
Show the numbers
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Fees to get certified: Exam | $439 |
| Fees to get certified: Renewal, every 3 years | $150 |
Does the CCNA or Security+ expire?
Yes. Both last three years, and each can be renewed with credits or a higher certification.
| CCNA (Cisco recertification) | Security+ (CompTIA continuing education) | |
|---|---|---|
| Valid for | 3 years | 3 years |
| Renew with credits | Continuing Education (CE) credits, points for approved Cisco training and exams; a passed associate-level exam counts for 30 | 50 CEUs (continuing education units, points for approved learning), plus a $150 CE fee for the cycle |
| Renew with an exam | Retake the CCNA or move up to the next Cisco level | Earn a higher CompTIA certification: CySA+ or PenTest+ (CompTIA's analyst and penetration-testing certifications), or SecurityX, its top security certification |
| Single renewal course | None listed | CertMaster CE |
Source: Cisco recertification and continuing-education pages; CompTIA CEU, renewal-fee and continuing-education FAQ pages (links in Sources).
Cisco's rules reward moving up: when you recertify your highest Cisco level, every certification at that level and below is recertified too, so an active CCNP (Cisco's professional-level certification) keeps the CCNA active. Cisco gives no extensions: if the CCNA lapses, you take the full exam again. CompTIA works the same way within its own range: its renewal hierarchy, from high to low, runs SecurityX, then CySA+ and PenTest+, then Security+, Network+ and A+.
What changes with the new Security+ version (V8)?
Security+ version 8 (V8, exam SY0-801) launches November 17, 2026, and replaces the current SY0-701, which retires in English on June 11, 2027, and in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai on August 13, 2027. V8 keeps up to 90 questions, 90 minutes and a passing score of 750, in English.
Two changes matter for this choice. V8's recommended experience, "Security administrator with two years of hands-on experience," no longer mentions Network+. And the domain weights shift, so the SY0-701 table and the $439 price on this page describe the current exam; check which exam version your study material covers before you buy it.
What do Reddit posters ask about the CCNA and Security+?
Posters ask which one suits a security goal, what to take after A+, whether they can skip the basics and what comes next. These questions come from posts we collected on r/ccna, r/CompTIA and r/ITCareerQuestions. Reddit posters are a self-selected group, so read these as questions people have, not as statistics.
- "CCNA vs Security+": a poster used exactly that title and wrote, "My goal is to land a full time gig in Cyber" (r/ccna). For a security goal, Security+ is the credential we count in security-analyst ads; the CCNA is a networking exam.
- "I have the CompTIA A+, Should I get the CCNA, Security+ or Network+." (r/ccna). CompTIA recommends Network+ before Security+. Choose the CCNA if you want network work, or Security+ if the security or support ads you see name it.
- "What if you skip A+ and Network+ and go straight to CCNA and Security+" (r/ITCareerQuestions). What you skip is the background that CompTIA's recommendation assumes.
- "Sec+, CCNA, and what else?" (r/CompTIA). The next step depends on the side you lean toward, as the next section shows.
What comes after the CCNA or Security+?
After the CCNA, Cisco's next level is the CCNP; our CCNA vs CCNP comparison explains when to move up, and our network-engineer role page shows what that job's ads name. After Security+, CompTIA ranks CySA+ and PenTest+ one level higher. Later in a security career comes the CISSP (an advanced security certification); our CISSP vs Security+ comparison and CISSP page cover when it fits. Each credential has its own page: CCNA and Security+.
What we did not check
- Exam prices outside the US. We used the US prices only.
- Renewal course and training prices. We did not price CertMaster CE or the Cisco training that earns CE credits.
- Cisco's CE credit total for the CCNA. The recertification page we read did not state how many CE credits renew the CCNA without an exam.
- Pass rates. Neither Cisco nor CompTIA publishes one on the pages we read.
- Salaries. We found no dated official source that compares pay for CCNA and Security+ holders.
Sources
All pages below were read October 8, 2026. An archived copy is a saved copy of a page from the date given.
- Cisco: CCNA certification and CCNA exam, archived copies of October 5, 2026; 200-301 v1.1 exam topics; recertification and continuing education, archived copies of July 12, 2026; CE qualifying options, archived copy of June 23, 2026.
- CompTIA: Security+ V7 page, Security+ V8 page, earning CEUs, renewal fees, continuing-education FAQ.
- Job ads: Adzuna API, October 2026, network-engineer, security-analyst and IT-support ads; phrases
ccnaandcomptia security. Analysis: CertWorthIt. Method. - Reddit: posts collected from r/ccna, r/CompTIA and r/ITCareerQuestions, linked where cited.
Questions people ask
Is CCNA or Security+ better?
It depends on the job you want next. For network-engineer jobs, the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) fits: it appeared in 1,557 of the 9,475 US network-engineer ads we counted in October 2026 on Adzuna, a job-ad search site. For security-analyst jobs, CompTIA Security+ fits: the phrase comptia security appeared in 112 of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads in the same month. In the US, the CCNA exam costs $300 and the Security+ voucher (a prepaid exam code) $439.
Should I take the CCNA or Security+ first?
Take first the one that matches the job you are applying for. Neither exam requires the other: Cisco lists the CCNA prerequisites as none, and CompTIA recommends, without requiring, Network+ (its networking certification) and two years in a security or systems-administrator job before Security+. For a network-engineer job, start with the CCNA ($300 in the US). For a security-analyst job, start with Security+ ($439 prepaid exam voucher in the US); it also appeared in 34 of the 2,745 US IT-support ads in October 2026 on Adzuna.
Should I get Network+ before Security+?
CompTIA recommends it but does not require it. The Security+ page lists CompTIA Network+ (CompTIA's networking certification) and two years in a security or systems-administrator job as recommended experience. If your networking is weak, Network+ first follows CompTIA's own order, and an active Security+ later renews Network+, because CompTIA lets a higher CompTIA certification renew a lower one. If you already work in IT, you can book Security+ directly; the US prepaid exam voucher costs $439.
Does the CCNA or Security+ expire?
Yes, both last three years. Cisco renews the CCNA if you retake the exam, move up to the next Cisco level or earn Continuing Education (CE) credits, which are points for approved training and exams; a passed associate-level exam counts for 30. A lapsed CCNA means taking the full exam again. CompTIA renews Security+ with 50 continuing education units (CEUs, points for approved learning) plus a $150 fee, with its CertMaster CE renewal course, or with a higher CompTIA certification such as CySA+, its security-analyst certification.
How long does it take to study for the CCNA and Security+?
Reddit posters who gave their CCNA study time report a median of 3.5 months, the middle value of their answers (n=15; the middle half took 2.8 to 4 months). For Security+, posters who gave months report a median of 2 months (n=13; middle half 1 to 4 months), and those who gave weeks a median of 2.5 weeks (n=10). These are self-reports from posts we collected, not a survey. The CCNA exam lasts 120 minutes; Security+ has up to 90 questions in 90 minutes.
Do I need the CCNA for a cybersecurity job?
Cisco and CompTIA set no such rule, and we cannot say how often security employers ask for the CCNA, because we count the CCNA only in network-engineer ads. What we count for security jobs is the phrase comptia security: it appeared in 112 of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads in October 2026 on Adzuna, a job-ad search site. The CCNA exam does give 15% of its weight to security fundamentals, so it can serve as a networking base for security work.
How much do the CCNA and Security+ cost together?
In the US, one attempt at each costs $739: the $300 CCNA exam plus the $439 Security+ voucher (a prepaid exam code). Over the first three-year cycle, add the renewals: $300 to pass a Cisco associate exam again and the $150 CompTIA continuing education fee, $1,189 in all, plus the cost of the 50 CEUs (continuing education units) CompTIA asks for. A failed CCNA attempt costs $300 again unless you bought Cisco's Exam Safeguard; CompTIA sells a Security+ voucher with Retake Assurance, a second attempt included, for $579.