Your CompTIA A+ Salary Guide
CompTIA A+ certification could help you land an entry-level IT job. Learn how much you might earn as a CompTIA-certified professional.
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Key takeaways
The CompTIA A+ indicates your ability to perform a variety of entry-level IT roles, which offer a healthy annual salary.
The salary you can earn with a CompTIA A+ will depend on your job role, experience, and location.
Popular roles after the CompTIA A+ include IT support specialist, field service technician, business analyst, helpdesk technician, and data support technician, with business analysts earning a higher median salary than the others.
You can improve your salary after the CompTIA A+ by building your IT skills, earning additional certifications like AWS and Google Cloud, and earning a degree.
Learn about the salary you can expect to earn for various IT jobs you could get with the CompTIA A+ certification, and discover several ways to potentially increase your salary. If you’re ready to start building your IT expertise, enroll in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn fundamental IT concepts like computer networking, IT security architecture, systems administration, TCP/IP, and more in as little as three months. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a career certificate for your resume.
CompTIA A+ certification salary: How much would I make if I were A+ certified?
CompTIA A+ certification indicates your ability to perform a variety of entry-level IT roles, such as business analyst, field service technician, and IT support specialist. As a result, while the certification may improve your earning potential (especially when combined with another qualification like a bachelor’s degree), it’s mostly seen as a stepping stone to a career in the field. Nonetheless, you’ll likely find that even entry-level positions earn a healthy annual salary.
Review some of the entry-level job titles that you may qualify for with CompTIA A+ certification, along with their median total pay*:
IT support specialist: $71,000 [1]
Field service technician: $70,000 [2]
Business analyst: $107,000 [3]
Help desk technician: $64,000 [4]
Data support technician: $56,000 [5]
*All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of April 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.
The exact amount you can expect to earn in these positions will vary depending on common factors like your experience and location. Below, you’ll explore how these factors could impact your earning potential.
CompTIA A+ jobs salary by experience
One of the greatest factors impacting A+ certification pay is your experience level. Take a look at what you can earn for different entry-level IT positions based on your years of experience [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
| 0–1 years | 1–3 years | 4–6 years | 7–9 years | 10–14 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT support specialist | $62,000 | $66,000 | $70,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Field service technician | $60,000 | $64,000 | $71,000 | $73,000 | $75,000 |
| Business analyst | $91,000 | $100,000 | $112,000 | $119,000 | $130,000 |
| Help desk technician | $56,000 | $60,000 | $63,000 | $64,000 | $69,000 |
| Data support technician | $55,000 | $59,000 | $62,000 | $63,000 | $66,000 |
All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of April 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.
Average CompTIA A+ salary by location
Another factor that has a big impact on your earning potential is where you work. Typically, you can expect areas with a higher cost of living to pay more than those with a lower cost of living. Below, find the average base pay for the above five jobs in 10 different US cities [6, 7, 8, 9, 10].
| IT support specialist | Field service technician | Business analyst | Help desk technician | Data support technician | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $68,114 | $71,066 | $74,683 | $54,765 | $60,101 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $65,708 | $68,997 | $73,623 | $52,693 | $57,973 |
| Washington, DC | $74,602 | $62,803 | $72,118 | $57,368 | $71,893 |
| Houston, TX | $62,388 | $60,162 | $67,955 | $50,423 | $49,377 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $46,173 | $54,504 | $69,442 | $42,500 | $53,162 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $56,981 | $56,644 | $69,159 | $48,311 | $71,909 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $56,368 | $54,329 | $64,359 | $51,655 | $50,254 |
| Saint Louis, MO | $48,148 | $77,000 | $61,411 | $46,587 | $49,618 |
| Tulsa, OK | $88,500 | $37,030 | $57,000 | $40,831 | $54,804 |
| Miami, FL | $61,644 | $53,000 | $71,936 | $50,000 | $54,709 |
What is the outlook for IT jobs?
IT jobs have a positive job outlook for the foreseeable future. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs for computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow much faster than average between 2024 and 2034 [11].
Furthermore, the BLS notes that the median pay for jobs in the field was $105,990 as of May 2024, significantly higher than the $49,500 median for all jobs in the country during the same period.
Generally, entry-level IT jobs meet or exceed the median pay for all jobs in the country, indicating you could expect to make much more as your career progresses.
Tips to improve your earning power in IT careers
CompTIA A+ certification can help you enter the IT field and may even help you earn more, but you’ll find other ways to improve your salary potential, too. Explore some tips on how to increase your earning power:
1. Build your skills.
More and more businesses are hiring employees based on the skills they have rather than the degrees they hold. According to a report published by Indeed, the number of jobs requiring a degree has decreased steadily over the last decade [12].
In effect, if you want to improve your earning power, it’s wise to continue developing your skills through training and educational programs such as the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, which may make you even more attractive to employers.
2. Consider more certifications.
Certifications have the potential to increase how much you earn. While CompTIA A+ certification might help you get your foot in the door, other qualifications like AWS certification or Google Cloud certification could help you advance your career by demonstrating your platform-specific knowledge. The more experienced and qualified you are, the more an employer will likely pay you for your time and energy.
Read more: The CompTIA Certification Path Explained
3. Consider a degree.
Some positions, particularly advanced positions, may require applicants to possess a college degree. As a result, you might consider gaining either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree to improve your earning potential in the field.
You can find accredited programs at community, city, state, and private colleges, as well as online through institutions like Illinois Tech.
What can you do with a CompTIA A+ certification?
Since the CompTIA A+ certification covers such a wide range of knowledge and skills, earning this credential means you can work in various industries and sectors. Some industries include business, health care, and software development. In addition to the roles listed above, you might pursue a role as a cybersecurity analyst, a data scientist, a cloud architect, or a network engineer, among many others.
Build in-demand skills with these practical resources
Explore career paths, assess your skills, and connect with resume guidance while browsing our Career Resources Hub. Or if you want to learn more about IT careers and certifications, check out these free resources:
Get expert insights: 7 IT certifications to know + career benefits
Watch on YouTube: How to Become an IT Professional
Learn key terms: Information Technology (IT) Terms: A to Z Glossary
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Article sources
Glassdoor. “IT Support Specialist Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/it-support-specialist-salary-SRCH_KO0,21.htm.” Accessed April 20, 2026.
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