CompTIA Network+ vs Security+ Difficulty: Which Cert to Take First

What is this page about?

A comparison of CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) and Security+ (SY0-701) to decide which to take first, concluding most readers find Security+ slightly harder due to its broader conceptual domains (risk, cryptography, governance) and higher 750/900 passing score, while Network+ has deeper technical networking depth. It compares specifications, domain coverage, cost, salary, DoD 8140 and federal demand, study time, and day-to-day usefulness, then gives a recommended order of attempt and what to pursue after Security+.

What has been corrected on this page?

Every accepted correction to this page is recorded with the exact change, so readers can see how the page improved over time.

1. 11 July 2026 · corrected by Melik Can Sariyer

   4 flagged issues verified as part of a pervasive unverified 'cert research team' / reader-survey framing running through most of the article: a claimed proprietary 'readers tracked over the past two years' dataset was softened; unverified-precision pass-rate percentages (74%/62%) tied to that unverified dataset were softened to qualitative statements; an unverified 'interviews with 11 hiring managers' survey with suspiciously clean fractional breakdowns had no verifiable methodology and was softened to general framing; the voucher-cost table ($369/$404) was checked against current 2026 CompTIA pricing and found stale (now ~$399/~$439) and was updated with a note to verify current pricing.

   Before

   Our cert research team has tracked outcomes from readers studying both credentials over the past two years. [...] Readers who took Network+ before Security+ pass Security+ at roughly 74 percent on the first attempt. Readers who attempted Security+ without Network+ pass at roughly 62 percent on the first attempt. [...] In our interviews with 11 hiring managers: 9 of 11 treat Security+ and Network+ equivalently for resume screening; 7 of 11 consider Security+ a must-have for any security-adjacent role; 4 of 11 consider Network+ a must-have for network-specific roles; 10 of 11 would prefer a candidate with both over a candidate with only one; 8 of 11 consider demonstrated hands-on experience more important than cert count. [...] Voucher cost (USD): Network+ $369, Security+ $404.

   After

   [unverified proprietary-dataset framing removed.] Candidates who take Network+ before attempting Security+ tend to report a notably easier time passing Security+ on the first attempt than candidates who attempt Security+ without any networking background first. [...] In general, hiring managers tend to treat Security+ and Network+ similarly for initial resume screening, with Security+ more often viewed as a must-have for security-adjacent roles and Network+ more often viewed as a must-have for network-specific roles. Most hiring managers would prefer a candidate holding both, and many weigh hands-on experience more heavily than cert count alone. [...] Voucher cost (USD, verify current pricing at comptia.org): Network+ ~$399, Security+ ~$439 (updated from stale 2024-2025 figures to current 2026 CompTIA list pricing).

   Why: Removed an unverified proprietary 'cert research team' reader-tracking dataset framing, softened unverified-precision pass-rate percentages (74%/62%) tied to that unverified dataset, softened an unverified 'interviews with 11 hiring managers' survey with suspiciously clean fractional breakdowns to general framing, and updated stale 2024-2025 voucher pricing ($369/$404) to current 2026 CompTIA rates (~$399/~$439) with a note to verify current pricing, recalculating the dependent total-cost table entries accordingly.

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