The Security+ exam costs $392. CISSP costs $749 — and that fee gap is actually the smallest difference between these two certifications. CISSP requires five years of paid work experience in two of its eight domains before you can even sit for the exam. CompTIA Security+ has no experience prerequisite. When people ask about CISSP vs CompTIA Security+, they're often asking the wrong question: not "which is better," but "which one am I actually eligible for, and which one will move my career right now?"
What CISSP and CompTIA Security+ Actually Certify
CompTIA Security+ is a vendor-neutral, entry-to-mid-level certification that validates foundational security concepts: network security, threats and vulnerabilities, identity management, cryptography, and compliance. It's recognized under DoD 8570/8140 for IAT Level II roles, which is why it appears in so many government contractor job postings. The current version, SY0-701, covers five domains and is typically passable within 60–90 days of focused study for someone with a networking background.
CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certifies that you can manage security at an organizational level — risk management, security architecture, asset security, software development security. It's issued by (ISC)², and the credential is explicitly aimed at people moving into or already in senior roles: security architects, managers, CISOs. The CISSP exam is adaptive (125–175 questions), and (ISC)² describes passing as demonstrating "a minimum of a practitioner level of competency." That's not marketing language — the exam genuinely tests judgment on complex scenarios, not just recall of definitions.
CISSP vs CompTIA Security+: Requirements and Eligibility
This is where the two diverge sharply:
- CompTIA Security+: No experience requirement. CompTIA recommends Network+ and two years of IT experience with a security focus, but neither is mandatory. Candidates regularly pass straight out of a bootcamp or after self-directed study.
- CISSP: Requires five years of paid, full-time work experience across two or more of the eight CISSP domains. A relevant four-year degree or an approved certification can substitute for one year. Without the experience, you can pass the exam and become an "Associate of (ISC)²" — but you won't hold the CISSP designation until the time is logged.
In practice, if you have fewer than three years of security experience, CISSP is not your immediate next step. Security+ probably is — or a more specialized cert like CySA+ or eJPT depending on the technical direction you're heading.
Exam Difficulty: A Realistic Comparison
Security+ is a 90-question exam (multiple choice and performance-based) with a 90-minute time limit and a passing score of 750 out of 900. Most adequately prepared candidates pass on the first attempt. CompTIA doesn't publish pass rates, but the general consensus from training platforms puts first-attempt success around 75–80% for candidates who studied seriously.
CISSP is adaptive. The exam ends anywhere between 125 and 175 questions depending on how you perform. A common misconception is that ending early means failure — it doesn't. The passing score is 700 out of 1000. (ISC)² puts first-time pass rates around 70%, though independent estimates run slightly lower depending on the population surveyed.
The bigger difficulty difference isn't the mechanics — it's the frame of thinking the exam demands. CISSP questions frequently involve choosing the best answer from four plausible options, where the wrong answers are wrong not because they're technically incorrect but because they solve the immediate problem while creating a different security issue. Security+ has some of this, but CISSP is relentlessly management-layer in its framing. If you're technically strong but haven't worked much with risk frameworks, governance structures, or business-level security trade-offs, CISSP will expose that gap quickly.
Salary and Career Outcomes
The salary data is fairly consistent across sources. Security+ holders working in security roles typically earn between $75,000 and $95,000 annually in the US, with meaningful variation by location and employer. The cert helps get you into security roles — it's primarily a hiring signal rather than a pay driver by itself.
CISSP holders report median salaries around $130,000–$150,000 in the US. The important caveat: people who hold CISSP generally have 7–10 years of experience by the time they earn it, which is doing most of the salary work. The credential signals senior readiness and is frequently a hard requirement for management-track roles at large enterprises and government contractors. That's what drives the correlation with higher pay, not the certification in isolation.
If you're trying to break into security, Security+ moves the needle on job access. If you're already in security and targeting architect or manager roles, CISSP is the credential that consistently appears in those job descriptions. They're not competing for the same career moment.
Top Courses to Prepare for CISSP
If CISSP is the right next step for your experience level, these are the courses worth your time. Most candidates need 3–6 months of preparation, and domain-specific gaps are common even for experienced practitioners.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) - Seventh Edition (Coursera)
Rated 8.7/10, this is the most complete single-course option for full CISSP prep — all eight domains, structured sequentially. Start here if you want mapped coverage before identifying which domains need deeper work.
CISSP Domain 4: Communication and Network Security (Coursera)
Rated 8.5/10. Domain 4 catches out candidates who are strong on policy but weaker on network protocol specifics — a focused review here is worth the time before exam day rather than relying on general coverage.
CISSP Domain 5: Identity and Access Management (IAM) (Coursera)
Rated 8.5/10. IAM is among the highest-weighted domains in recent CISSP exams and the area where candidates most consistently underestimate the depth required, particularly around federation, privileged access management, and identity governance.
CISSP Domain 3: Security Architecture and Engineering (Coursera)
Rated 8.5/10. Domain 3 is notoriously broad — cryptography, security models, physical security, and trusted computing all live here. This course covers it systematically and doesn't gloss over cryptographic principles the way most broad prep courses do.
CISSP Exam Prep 2025 – Master Domain 2 with Practice Test (Udemy)
Rated 8.2/10. Domain 2 (Asset Security) looks straightforward on paper and isn't. The practice tests here are especially useful for adjusting to the management-layer question framing before the actual exam.
CISSP Crash Course (Coursera)
Rated 8.1/10. Best used in the final 2–3 weeks before your exam date as a consolidation pass, not as primary prep material. If you've already done domain-level study, this fills gaps efficiently.
FAQ: CISSP vs CompTIA Security+
Can I take CISSP without having Security+ first?
Yes. The CISSP has no prerequisite certifications — only the work experience requirement. Security+ is not a required step. That said, if your foundational security knowledge has gaps, Security+ prep material covers a lot of the conceptual ground that CISSP builds on, so using it as study material (without necessarily sitting the exam) isn't a bad idea for some candidates.
Should I get Security+ before pursuing CISSP?
If you're early in your career with fewer than three years in security, yes — Security+ makes sense as a near-term credential. It's achievable without years of prior experience, shows up in entry and mid-level job requirements, and gets you into roles where you start building the CISSP-qualifying experience. If you already have five-plus years and are targeting senior roles, you can go straight to CISSP prep without Security+ being a necessary intermediate step.
Which exam is harder — CISSP or Security+?
CISSP is considerably harder for most candidates. It's not just more content — it requires a different approach to exam questions. CISSP is framed from a management and governance perspective, and the best answer often isn't the most technically aggressive one but the one that reflects sound risk judgment. Security+ is more direct: understand the concepts, demonstrate that understanding. CISSP tests how you reason about competing priorities under constraints.
Which certification results in higher pay — CISSP or Security+?
CISSP holders earn substantially more on average, with US median salaries around $130,000–$150,000 versus $75,000–$95,000 for Security+ holders. Most of that gap reflects role seniority and years of experience rather than the credential itself. CISSP is a hard requirement for many senior roles, which is why it correlates with higher pay — the cert alone doesn't command a premium independent of the experience behind it.
Is Security+ worth getting if you already have CISSP?
Rarely. CISSP carries more weight in virtually every context where Security+ would otherwise appear. The one edge case is federal contracting positions where DoD 8570 explicitly names Security+ as the required certification for a specific role classification — but that's situational. For most people, pursuing Security+ after CISSP is working backward on the credential stack.
How long does the path from Security+ to CISSP typically take?
Realistically, 4–7 years of progressive security experience after earning Security+, assuming you're moving into roles with increasing scope and responsibility. The CISSP experience requirement is five years across two domains — Security+ doesn't shorten that clock. What it does is help you land the roles where you're accumulating qualifying experience from day one.
Bottom Line
The CISSP vs CompTIA Security+ comparison isn't really about which certification is superior. They're different rungs on the same ladder, and the right one depends entirely on where you are right now.
Get Security+ if: you're entering security, transitioning from another IT role, have fewer than three years of security experience, or need a widely recognized credential to clear hiring filters at the entry and mid-level.
Pursue CISSP if: you have five or more years of qualifying experience, you're targeting architect, manager, or senior practitioner roles, and you're ready to think about security from a risk management perspective rather than purely a technical one.
Start by checking whether you actually meet the CISSP experience requirement. If you can't document five years across two domains, that decision is already made for you. Get Security+ now, build experience in roles that count toward CISSP eligibility, and start CISSP prep when the qualification is real. For full-domain CISSP preparation when you're ready, the CISSP Seventh Edition course on Coursera is the most thorough starting point currently available.