{"id":1308,"date":"2026-07-17T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/?p=1308"},"modified":"2026-07-17T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T19:00:00","slug":"comptia-a-plus-salary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/resources\/blog\/comptia-a-plus-salary\/","title":{"rendered":"CompTIA A+ Salary 2026: What A+ Holders Earn in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ai-tldr\"><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> CompTIA A+ holders in the US typically earn $45,000\u2013$65,000 in their first IT roles, with a national midpoint near $60,340 (BLS, May 2024, computer user support specialists). ZipRecruiter pegs the A+-aligned average around $63,900, and pay climbs past $75,000 with two to three years of hands-on experience.<\/div>\n<p>The <strong>CompTIA A+ salary<\/strong> question has a moving answer that depends on the role you land, your experience, and your metro. Across US sources, A+ certification salary figures cluster between $45,000 and $65,000 for early-career technicians, with a documented ceiling above $98,000 for seasoned support staff. This guide breaks down CompTIA A+ pay by job title, by years of experience, and by city, using 2025\u20132026 data from Glassdoor, Payscale, ZipRecruiter, Salary.com, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).<\/p>\n<h2>What is the average CompTIA A+ salary in 2025\u20132026?<\/h2>\n<p>No single figure defines A+ pay, because each aggregator measures something different. The firmest baseline comes from the BLS: computer user support specialists \u2014 the occupation most A+ holders fill \u2014 earned a median $60,340 in May 2024, with the bottom 10% under $38,780 and the top 10% above $98,010. Job-board and self-report sources bracket that midpoint:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>ZipRecruiter<\/strong> puts the A+-aligned average near $63,900 a year (about $30.73\/hour), with most salaries between $49,000 and $80,500 and top earners around $101,000.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Payscale<\/strong> reports roughly $75,000 for professionals who hold the A+ certification, a figure weighted toward those with several years in the field.<\/li>\n<li><strong>BLS<\/strong> anchors the middle at $60,340 median (May 2024) for the core support occupation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The gap is methodology, not contradiction. ZipRecruiter samples job postings, Payscale blends self-reported total compensation, and BLS surveys employers across an entire occupation. Read together, they place a typical A+ holder in the high-$50,000s to mid-$60,000s, climbing with experience. In hourly terms, that maps to roughly $22 to $31 an hour for most front-line roles.<\/p>\n<h2>CompTIA A+ salary by job role: help desk to junior sysadmin<\/h2>\n<p>The A+ opens a cluster of entry-level titles, and pay tracks the responsibility of each. National averages for 2025\u20132026:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Role<\/th>\n<th>Typical US pay (2025\u20132026)<\/th>\n<th>Source<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Help desk technician<\/td>\n<td>$48,000\u2013$52,000 base<\/td>\n<td>ZipRecruiter avg $48,154; Salary.com $50,806<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Desktop support technician<\/td>\n<td>$48,000\u2013$62,000<\/td>\n<td>ZipRecruiter avg $47,766; Glassdoor avg $62,475<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>IT field service technician<\/td>\n<td>$51,000\u2013$65,000<\/td>\n<td>ZipRecruiter avg $52,809; Salary.com $65,085<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Computer user support specialist<\/td>\n<td>$60,340 median<\/td>\n<td>BLS, May 2024<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Junior systems administrator<\/td>\n<td>$63,000\u2013$70,000<\/td>\n<td>ZipRecruiter avg $63,244; Indeed $69,973<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Help desk is the classic first job and the lowest-paid, but it feeds every tier above it. Desktop support adds hands-on hardware and imaging work; IT field service adds travel and on-site repair, pushing 90th-percentile field techs past $83,000 (ZipRecruiter). Junior systems administrator is the first meaningful jump in pay and scope \u2014 ZipRecruiter&#8217;s average tops $63,000 and Indeed lands near $70,000. Glassdoor&#8217;s self-reported model runs higher still, though it leans toward high-cost metros and total compensation rather than base pay.<\/p>\n<h2>How does your CompTIA A+ salary grow with experience?<\/h2>\n<p>Experience \u2014 not the certificate by itself \u2014 drives earnings. Percentile data across sources maps to a clear ladder:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Experience level<\/th>\n<th>Typical annual pay<\/th>\n<th>Reference point<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Entry (0\u20131 year)<\/td>\n<td>$38,000\u2013$50,000<\/td>\n<td>BLS bottom 10% $38,780; ZipRecruiter help-desk 25th pct $40,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Early career (1\u20134 years)<\/td>\n<td>$50,000\u2013$65,000<\/td>\n<td>Payscale desktop support 1\u20134 yr ~$23\u201325\/hour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mid-career (4\u20137 years)<\/td>\n<td>$65,000\u2013$80,000<\/td>\n<td>ZipRecruiter A+ 75th pct $80,500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Experienced \/ stacked certs (7+ years)<\/td>\n<td>$80,000\u2013$98,000+<\/td>\n<td>BLS top 10% $98,010<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Two levers accelerate the climb:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Stacking certifications.<\/strong> Following A+ with Network+, Security+, or a cloud credential (AWS, Azure) is the fastest documented raise; cloud skills alone can add $10,000\u2013$15,000 in annual pay, per Training Camp&#8217;s 2025 analysis.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Moving off the phones.<\/strong> Each promotion \u2014 help desk to desktop to sysadmin \u2014 resets your pay band upward. The A+ is the credential that makes those first two moves credible to hiring managers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Which skills and certifications raise CompTIA A+ pay the most?<\/h2>\n<p>The biggest earnings jumps come from what you add to the A+, not the A+ alone. Ranked by documented impact:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cloud certifications<\/strong> (AWS Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect, Azure Fundamentals or Administrator): +$10,000\u2013$15,000, the largest single lever (Training Camp, 2025).<\/li>\n<li><strong>CompTIA Network+ and Security+:<\/strong> the natural next stack, opening junior sysadmin and security-adjacent roles that pay $63,000\u2013$80,000.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scripting and automation<\/strong> (PowerShell, Python, Bash): +$8,000\u2013$12,000 by moving you from ticket-taker to problem-fixer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Industry placement:<\/strong> government, defense, and financial-services support pay 15\u201330% above baseline for compliance-heavy environments (Training Camp, 2025).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The pattern is consistent across sources: the A+ gets you in the door, and the second and third credentials are where pay accelerates. A two-year plan \u2014 A+ now, Network+ or a cloud cert next \u2014 is the difference between a $48,000 help desk seat and a $75,000 administrator role.<\/p>\n<h2>Where does CompTIA A+ pay go the furthest by metro?<\/h2>\n<p>Location shifts pay by 20\u201330%. High-cost, tech-dense metros pay the most in absolute dollars, while lower-cost states pay less but often stretch further. Across help desk and desktop data (Glassdoor, Salary.com, ZipRecruiter), the top-paying markets in 2025\u20132026 include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>California metros<\/strong> \u2014 San Jose and San Francisco lead, with help desk averages near $56,000, the highest nationally.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Washington, DC<\/strong> \u2014 roughly $66,000 for desktop support, lifted by cleared government contracts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Seattle, Boston, New York, and northern New Jersey<\/strong> \u2014 consistently 15\u201325% above the national median.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The trade-off is cost of living: a $56,000 San Jose salary and a $46,000 role in a low-cost metro can deliver similar purchasing power. Government, defense, financial-services, and healthcare employers pay premiums of 10\u201330% for compliance-sensitive support work (Training Camp, 2025).<\/p>\n<h2>Does the A+ certification actually raise your salary?<\/h2>\n<p>Directly, modestly; indirectly, a lot. The A+ is an entry credential, not a senior one, so it rarely adds a large premium on top of an identical role. What it does is unlock the interview \u2014 many help desk and desktop postings list A+ as required or preferred, so without it you may never reach the shortlist. Its value shows up three ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Access:<\/strong> it qualifies you for entry roles paying $45,000\u2013$60,000 that might otherwise screen you out.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Speed:<\/strong> certified hires often skip or shorten probationary pay tiers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Foundation:<\/strong> it is the base of a stack \u2014 A+, then Network+ or Security+ \u2014 where the real salary gains compound.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Treated as a first step rather than a finish line, the A+ certification salary payoff is the career it launches, not the raise on day one.<\/p>\n<h2>What entry-level roles does CompTIA A+ unlock?<\/h2>\n<p>The A+ validates hardware, operating systems, networking fundamentals, security, and troubleshooting \u2014 the exact skills front-line IT demands. It is the standard qualifier for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Help desk \/ service desk technician<\/li>\n<li>Desktop and end-user support technician<\/li>\n<li>IT field service and on-site technician<\/li>\n<li>Technical support specialist<\/li>\n<li>Junior systems or network administrator (often paired with Network+)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The BLS projects about 50,500 openings a year for computer support specialists through 2034 \u2014 almost entirely replacement demand as workers move up or out, which keeps the entry door open even as the occupation&#8217;s headcount holds roughly flat.<\/p>\n<h2>Train for the CompTIA A+ (220-1201 &amp; 220-1202) with Boost eLearning<\/h2>\n<p>The current A+ runs on two exams \u2014 220-1201 (Core 1) and 220-1202 (Core 2) \u2014 and you pass both to certify. Boost eLearning prepares you for each with Certified Partner instructors and hands-on <strong>Live Labs<\/strong> that put real hardware, operating systems, and troubleshooting scenarios in front of you \u2014 the practical skills employers pay for. Every course carries a money-back <strong>Pass Guarantee<\/strong>, and you pick the format that fits: online self-paced, live virtual, or on-site. Compare exam objectives, schedules, and lab details on the <a href=\"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/courses\/comptia\/comptia-a-plus\/\">CompTIA A+ training page<\/a> and start on the certification that opens the door.<\/p>\n<p>The A+ will not make you rich on its own, but it reliably converts to a $45,000\u2013$65,000 first IT job and a clear path toward $80,000-plus. Add experience and a second certification, and the numbers move quickly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CompTIA A+ salary in 2025\u20132026: help desk, desktop, field, and junior sysadmin pay by experience and metro, with ranges from BLS, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bel_standfirst":"","bel_faq":"What is the average CompTIA A+ salary in the US?|The BLS median for computer user support specialists \u2014 the role most A+ holders fill \u2014 was $60,340 in May 2024. ZipRecruiter lists an A+-aligned average near $63,900, while entry-level pay commonly starts at $40,000\u2013$50,000.\nDoes CompTIA A+ increase your salary?|Indirectly. A+ is an entry credential that qualifies you for help desk and desktop roles paying $45,000\u2013$60,000, rather than adding a large premium to an existing job. The bigger gains come from experience and stacking Network+, Security+, or a cloud certification.\nWhat jobs can you get with a CompTIA A+?|Help desk and service desk technician, desktop and end-user support, IT field service technician, technical support specialist, and junior systems or network administrator (often paired with Network+).\nHow much do help desk technicians with A+ earn?|ZipRecruiter reports an average around $48,000 (base $40,000\u2013$54,000 for most), while Glassdoor's total-pay figure is higher near $64,000. Consensus base pay is roughly $48,000\u2013$52,000, per Salary.com and ZipRecruiter.\nHow many exams are in the CompTIA A+?|Two: 220-1201 (Core 1) and 220-1202 (Core 2). You must pass both to earn the certification.\nHow can I raise my CompTIA A+ salary fastest?|Gain hands-on experience and stack certifications. Adding cloud skills (AWS, Azure) can raise pay by $10,000\u2013$15,000, and moving from help desk to desktop support to sysadmin resets your pay band upward at each step.","bel_outcomes":"","bel_audience":"","bel_outline":"","bel_exam":"","bel_livelabs":"","bel_duration":"","bel_exam_code":"","bel_level":"","bel_price":"","bel_rating":"","bel_reviews":"","bel_instructors":"","bel_image_credit":"","bel_result_num":"","bel_result_label":"","bel_customer":"","bel_industry":"","bel_credentials":"","bel_courses_taught":"","bel_meta_desc":"CompTIA A+ salary in 2025\u20132026: help desk, desktop, field, and junior sysadmin pay by experience and metro, with ranges from BLS, Glassdoo\u2026 \u2014 boostelearning.com","footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-career-paths"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1308"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1670,"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1308\/revisions\/1670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boostelearning.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}