IT Certifications: Which Ones to Earn First

Which IT Certifications to Earn First

IT certifications are exams from a vendor or an industry body that test one specific skill set. You sit the exam, pass, and hold a credential that employers can verify. There is no single “best” one, because the right first certification depends on the job you are aiming at. But the order is not random. Help desk, networking and security each have a standard starting point, and skipping ahead usually costs you time.

This page covers those three paths, then the question most people actually arrive with: do you need an IT degree, or are certifications enough? If you want the details on a specific exam, there are full pages for CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+ and Cisco CCNA.

Compare IT Certifications

Here are the 4 certifications we cover, from the vendors' own exam pages. Level is our own grouping, based on the experience each vendor recommends.

CompTIA A+ costs the most in exam fees at $548, because it takes two exams. Among the single-exam certifications, CompTIA Security+ is the most expensive at $439 and Cisco CCNA the least at $300. Cisco CCNA has the longest exam at 120 minutes, and all 4 stay valid for three years before renewal.

IT Certification Paths

The Best IT Certifications for a Help Desk Path

Help desk is where most IT careers start, and CompTIA A+ is the certification most help desk postings name. It covers hardware, operating systems, mobile devices, networking basics, security basics and troubleshooting. You need to pass two exams, 220-1201 and 220-1202, and you can take them in either order.

Help desk work maps to the BLS occupation Computer User Support Specialists (SOC 15-1232). The median pay is $61,860 a year, with the bottom 10% earning $40,980 and the top 10% earning $100,540. The BLS lists some college, no degree as the typical entry education, which is why a certification alone can get you in the door.

Be clear about the outlook, too. The BLS projects employment for this occupation to change by -3.5% over 2025 to 2035, but it still expects about 39,700 openings a year because so many people move up or out. Help desk is a place you start, not usually a place you stay, so choose your next certification with the following role in mind. The help desk technician career page goes into the day-to-day work.

The Best IT Certifications for a Networking Path

Networking has a clear ladder. CompTIA Network+ comes first. It is a vendor-neutral exam on how networks work: addressing, routing, switching, wireless, troubleshooting and basic security. It is one exam of up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, and CompTIA recommends you hold A+ first and have 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience as a junior network administrator or network support technician.

Cisco CCNA comes next. It is a single exam, 200-301, with a 120 minute time limit, and it goes deeper on routing, switching and automation using Cisco equipment and concepts. Employers who run Cisco gear look for it, and it carries weight on a resume for network roles specifically.

Two BLS occupations sit at the end of this path. Computer Network Support Specialists (SOC 15-1231) earn a median of $76,220. Network and Computer Systems Administrators (SOC 15-1244) earn a median of $99,130, and that one code covers both network administrators and systems administrators. Read the network administrator career page and the network support specialist page to see how each role uses these certifications.

The Best IT Certifications for a Security Path

Security is the one path where the order matters most. Security teams rarely hire people straight out of A+ because the work assumes you already understand how networks and operating systems behave. The common route is A+, then Network+, then a security certification such as CompTIA Security+, then something more specialized.

The BLS occupation here is Information Security Analysts (SOC 15-1212), and the BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical entry education. The median pay is $129,180, and the BLS projects employment to change by 21% over 2025 to 2035. That is the main place where a degree beats certifications: security employers screen on education more than help desk employers do. If you want this route, look at our ranking of online cybersecurity degrees and the information security analyst career page.

Which IT Certification First: Pick by Goal

Match your first exam to what you want to be doing a year from now.

• You have no IT experience and want a first job. Start with CompTIA A+. It costs $548 across two exams and points straight at help desk work. CompTIA recommends hands-on experience, but no one checks for it.
• You already fix computers and want to move into networks. Take CompTIA Network+ for $369. It suits network support work and is the step both paths share.
• Your target employers run Cisco equipment. Go to the CCNA at $300, either after Network+ or directly if you are comfortable with subnetting. It fits network administrator work on Cisco equipment. The exam changes on February 3, 2027.
• You want security work. Plan on CompTIA Security+ at $439, with networking knowledge in place first. A new version launches on November 17, 2026, so check which one your study material covers. Information security analyst postings also lean toward degrees.
• You are starting a degree anyway. Check whether your program pays for an exam before you buy one. Our ranking of degrees with certifications shows which ones say so, and it may save you the fee.

Hold off on a certification if you can’t yet say which of these goals is yours. Read a few postings first, then let them settle it.

IT Degree vs Certifications: Which One Do You Need?

The honest answer is that it depends on the job, and the two are less opposed than the question suggests. An IT degree vs certifications comparison comes down to what each one proves to an employer.

A certification proves you can pass a specific, current exam. It costs hundreds of dollars and takes weeks to months of study. It goes out of date, which is why each one has a renewal cycle. A degree proves you finished a multi-year program. It costs far more, but it carries general education, writing, project work and a credential that never expires. According to the BLS, help desk work can start with some college, no degree, network support with associate's degree, and network administration with bachelor's degree.

So the practical split looks like this. If you want help desk work as fast as possible, certifications win on speed and cost. If you want to move into administration, engineering, security or management, a degree opens doors that a stack of certifications often will not, and many employers want both. Our IT degree worth-it guide goes through the numbers.

The strongest combination is the cheapest one to assemble: earn A+ while you study, take a job, and let your employer help pay for the degree. Many degree programs also let you earn certifications along the way, which is covered next.

IT Degrees That Include Certifications

Some online degrees fold certification prep into the coursework, so you graduate with the credential or a clear shot at the exam. Of the programs in our ranking, 43 do this. Total program cost across the ones with published pricing runs from $14,260 to $87,320, with a median of $48,376.

That ranking is the place to compare them: online IT degrees with certifications. Read the program page for what is actually included. “Aligned to” an exam means the material overlaps. “Includes a voucher” means the school pays the exam fee. Those are different promises.

How to Choose Your First IT Certification

Start from the job, not the certification. Open three job postings for the role you want in your area and note which credentials they name. If they all say A+, take A+. If they ask for CCNA, you still probably want Network+ first, because CCNA assumes you already understand the basics.

Then be realistic about the work. A+ is the lightest lift, and CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role. You can pass without it, but the exam is easier if you have fixed a few real machines. Network+ is harder and rewards hands-on practice with a home lab or simulator. CCNA is harder again and includes configuration tasks.

Finally, plan for renewal. A+ asks for 20 continuing education units over each cycle, and Network+ asks for 30. That is not a burden if you keep working in the field, because work experience and training both count. But it is a cost you should know about before you collect six certifications you never use.

IT Certifications Worth Skipping at First

Not every certification belongs early. Advanced vendor credentials, such as the professional and expert levels from Cisco, mean little without the years of work they assume. Cloud certifications can be a good second step, but a cloud credential without networking knowledge leaves gaps that show up in interviews.

Avoid collecting entry-level certifications from several vendors at the same time. Employers read a stack of beginner credentials as a sign you have not committed to a path. One certification, one job, then the next certification the job calls for is the better order.

Where to Go After Your First IT Certification

Once you hold a first certification and a job, your next move depends on what you see at work. If you are fixing computers all day, look at systems administration and the systems administrator salary page. If you keep ending up in the network closet, aim for Network+ and CCNA. If you like the access and audit side, aim for security.

Whichever way you go, compare what the next step pays against what it costs. Browse the careers hub to see the roles these certifications lead to, and the rankings hub when you are ready to compare degree programs.