What to Do After Passing CompTIA Security+: Next Certifications and Career Moves

The current Security+ certification is not a generic "cyber" badge. CompTIA frames SY0-701 around five weighted domains, hands-on performance-based work, and a fixed exam window of 90 minutes. The voucher price is $425, the exam can include maximum of 90 questions, and the passing score is 750 on a scale of 100-900.

What to do after passing Security+

After passing Security+, the next step depends on your career target. For analysts and SOC roles, CompTIA CySA+ builds deeper threat analysis and defensive operations skills on the Security+ foundation. For penetration testing and red team roles, CompTIA PenTest+ or the EC-Council CEH develops offensive testing methodology. For cloud environments, AWS Security Specialty or the (ISC)² CCSP deepens cloud security expertise.

Career moves available immediately

Security+ qualifies you immediately for SOC Analyst, Junior Security Analyst, IT Security Specialist, Systems Administrator with security focus, and government/contractor roles requiring IAT Level II under DoD 8570/8140. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile with the new certification and begin targeting these roles.

Maintaining your certification

CompTIA requires 50 CEUs in a three-year renewal cycle to maintain Security+. Plan CEU accumulation in advance — webinars, training courses, conferences, and qualifying certifications all contribute. The three-year CE fee is $150.

Job market context

BLS reports a median annual wage of $124,910 for information security analysts and projects 28.5% growth from 2024 to 2034. Security+ positions you at the entry point of this growing market.

What should you do with this information next?

SimpuTech's Security+ AI tutor can help you plan your next certification steps. Try it at SimpuTech.com.