TL;DR: Take Network+ (N10-009) first if networking is still fuzzy for you, because Security+ assumes you already understand ports, subnets, VLANs and how traffic moves. Take Security+ (SY0-701) first only if you already work with networks or you need a security credential quickly for a job or a DoD-style requirement. The clock matters this year: Security+ V8 (SY0-801) is due on or around November 17, 2026, and the English SY0-701 retires June 11, 2027. If you want SY0-701, you have a defined window.
Quick Facts
| Item | Network+ N10-009 | Security+ SY0-701 |
| Vendor | CompTIA | CompTIA |
| Focus | How networks are built, run and fixed | How systems and data are defended |
| Maximum questions | 90 | 90 |
| Question types | Multiple-choice and performance-based | Multiple-choice and performance-based |
| Duration | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 720 (scale 100 to 900) | 750 (scale 100 to 900) |
| Launched | June 20, 2024 | November 2023 |
| Retirement | Not announced, CompTIA exams usually run about three years, so expect 2027 | English June 11, 2027 |
| Recommended experience | A+ and 9 to 12 months in network support | Network+ and 2 years in security or systems administration |
| Exam price | USD 369 (CompTIA blog) | About USD 425 (third-party figure, check the store) |
| Valid for | 3 years, renewable with CE | 3 years, renewable with CE |
| Languages | English, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai |
| Biggest domain | Network troubleshooting (24%) | Security operations (28%) |
| Average salary of certified respondents (2024 survey, US) | About USD 98,000 | About USD 102,000 |
| Best for | Help desk to network technician | Help desk or admin to security analyst |
| Next step after | CCNA, Security+, Server+ | CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX |
The Short Answer
Most people searching this question are at one of three starting points, and the answer is different for each.
- You have A+ or equivalent but have never configured a router or read a packet capture: take Network+ first. Security+ questions about firewalls, segmentation, DNS attacks and VPNs are much easier when you already know what normal looks like.
- You work in IT support or systems administration and already handle networks day to day: go straight to Security+. You will find most of the networking content in it familiar, and security is where the extra hiring demand is.
- You want a cybersecurity job and have no IT background at all: this is the case where people argue. CompTIA’s own recommended path is A+, then Network+, then Security+. That path is slower, but it produces candidates who can actually explain what an attack is doing. If you are in a hurry, Security+ first is possible, but expect to learn networking basics alongside it.
Neither exam requires the other. The “Network+ first” advice is a recommendation, not a rule.
Why the Timing Is Unusual This Year
CompTIA’s Security+ V8 page says SY0-801 launches on or around November 17, 2026. The Security+ V7 page says English SY0-701 exams retire on June 11, 2027, with Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai retiring on August 13, 2027. Release dates have slipped in the past, so treat the November date as a target, not a promise.
What this means in practice:
- If you are about to start studying for Security+ today, you have roughly seven and a half months before SY0-701 disappears in English. That is enough time to finish Network+ first and still sit SY0-701, as long as you move steadily.
- If you would rather study once, for the version that will be current for the next three years, SY0-801 is the better target, but its study material will be thin in the first weeks after launch.
- Vouchers are exam-specific. An SY0-701 voucher cannot be applied to SY0-801, so do not buy one unless you plan to sit it before the retirement date.
For a full breakdown of what changes between the two Security+ versions, see our SY0-701 vs SY0-801 guide. Note that the SY0-801 domain weights listed on CompTIA’s page shift mostly toward threats and general concepts, and away from program management, so the change is a rebalance and not a rewrite.
Network+ does not have a replacement announced right now. N10-009 launched in June 2024 and CompTIA exams typically stay current for about three years, but no retirement date has been published, so confirm on CompTIA’s site before you plan around it.
What Network+ N10-009 Covers
Network+ is the vendor-neutral networking exam. It is less about memorising product menus and more about knowing how the pieces fit together. CompTIA lists five domains:
| Domain | Weight |
| Network troubleshooting | 24% |
| Networking concepts | 23% |
| Network implementation | 20% |
| Network operations | 19% |
| Network security | 14% |
Beyond the weights, here is what that looks like in practice:
- Networking concepts: OSI and TCP/IP models, common ports and protocols, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, subnetting, DNS, DHCP, cloud and virtualised network concepts.
- Network implementation: routing, switching, VLANs, wireless standards, SD-WAN and SDN ideas, VxLAN, cabling and physical installation, MDF and IDF distribution frames.
- Network operations: monitoring, logging, high availability, disaster recovery, infrastructure as code, and documentation.
- Network security: firewalls, zero trust, SASE and SSE, common attacks, hardening, remote access.
- Troubleshooting: a methodology plus real command-line and tool-based diagnosis, which is the part that performance-based questions love.
The exam is hands-on in spirit. Candidates who have only read a book often struggle on the simulations, because the questions ask you to pick the next diagnostic step, not to recite a definition.
What Security+ SY0-701 Covers
Security+ is a broad security baseline. It is not deep in any single area, but it touches almost everything an entry-level security or systems role would meet.
| Domain | Weight |
| General security concepts | 12% |
| Threats, vulnerabilities and mitigations | 22% |
| Security architecture | 18% |
| Security operations | 28% |
| Security program management and oversight | 20% |
Typical topics include:
- General concepts: CIA triad, authentication and authorization, zero trust, cryptography basics, change management.
- Threats and mitigations: malware, social engineering, application attacks, vulnerabilities, indicators of compromise.
- Architecture: cloud and on-premises security, segmentation, resilience, data protection, secure network design.
- Operations: identity and access management, vulnerability management, incident response, monitoring, automation.
- Program management: governance, risk, compliance, audits, third-party risk, security awareness.
Security+ questions are scenario-heavy. You are usually given a short situation and asked for the best control, the most likely cause or the first response step.
Where the Two Exams Overlap
This is the part that explains the “which first” debate. Network+ ends with a domain on network security (14%), and Security+ includes architecture and operations content that assumes network literacy. Specifically, these topics show up in both:
- Firewalls, ACLs and segmentation
- VPNs and remote access
- Wireless security
- DNS and DHCP attacks
- Zero trust and SASE
If you take Network+ first, roughly a quarter of Security+ will feel like review. If you take Security+ first, you will still need to learn the transport and routing foundations, and the questions that reference them will take longer.
Difficulty: Which Is Harder?
Most candidates describe Security+ as the wider exam and Network+ as the more technical one. Both are associate-level, and neither is near the difficulty of CISSP or CCNP.
- Network+ is harder if you have never touched a network. Subnetting, routing behaviour and troubleshooting commands take practice, and the performance-based questions are unforgiving.
- Security+ is harder if you dislike memorising. The volume of terms, frameworks and controls is large, and many answer options look similar until you read the scenario carefully.
- The pass marks differ slightly. Network+ needs 720 on a 900 scale, Security+ needs 750. These are scaled scores, so they do not translate directly into a percentage of questions correct.
Our guess, based on how candidates tend to report their experience, is that people with a networking background find Security+ a notch easier and people with a security-only background find Network+ a notch harder. That is a pattern, not a measurement.
Who Should Take Which
Take Network+ first if:
- You hold A+ or have help desk experience and want to move toward network administration.
- You cannot yet explain what a subnet mask does, what a VLAN is for, or how DNS resolution works.
- Your long-term goal is cybersecurity, but you want the foundation that makes security concepts click.
- You plan to go on to Cisco CCNA, since Network+ gives you the vendor-neutral background.
Take Security+ first if:
- You already work with networks, cloud or systems and want to prove security knowledge.
- Your employer or a government contract requires a security baseline certification.
- You are aiming at SOC analyst or junior security roles and want the most common entry credential.
- You are comfortable with networking basics from school, a degree or on-the-job work.
Take both, in order, if:
- You are building from scratch and have six to nine months to spare.
- You want the stack that CompTIA itself describes, with each exam building on the last. Our CompTIA stackable certifications guide explains how the pieces combine.
Six Realistic Scenarios
- Help desk technician, A+ holder, wants to move into security. Network+ then Security+. You get the network foundation, then the security layer, and both will count toward your renewal later.
- Sysadmin with three years of experience who wants a better title. Security+ directly. You already have the practical networking knowledge.
- Career changer with no IT background and a six-month goal. Start with the basics through A+ or a structured course, then pick based on your target job. Do not skip straight to Security+ unless you are ready to study networking as you go.
- University graduate with a networking course on the transcript. Security+ first is reasonable. Network+ later if your role is networking-heavy.
- Someone targeting a SOC analyst role. Security+ is the baseline, and the next step is usually CySA+. If you want to see how that comparison works, read CS0-003 vs Security+ and then the CompTIA certification roadmap.
- Someone thinking of Cisco CCNA. Network+ is optional. If you plan on CCNA anyway, you can skip Network+ and go straight there, but beginners often find the vendor-neutral grounding helpful.
Salary and Career Impact
The best published numbers for these two certifications come from Skillsoft’s IT Skills and Salary survey, which ran from May to September 2024 and covered 1,905 respondents worldwide who held at least one CompTIA certification, including 1,180 in the US. These are averages for people who hold the credential, not a guaranteed offer.
| Certification | Worldwide average (USD) | US average (USD) |
| CompTIA Network+ | About 90,800 | About 98,000 |
| CompTIA Security+ | About 91,400 | About 102,300 |
A few things to keep in mind when you read that table:
- The gap is small. Security+ holders in the survey earned about USD 4,000 more in the US and about USD 600 more worldwide. That is a modest difference, and it is not proof that Security+ causes higher pay.
- Experience drives the number. Respondents with several years of work behind them pull these averages up, so a new certificate holder should expect to start lower.
- The figures are not adjusted for location or cost of living, and the survey was circulated through training providers and certification bodies, so respondents may not represent everyone.
By role, Network+ typically leads to network technician, network support, junior network administrator and NOC technician jobs. Security+ typically leads to security analyst, junior SOC analyst, systems security administrator and compliance support positions. Security work generally sits slightly higher in the pay ladder at the same experience level, and the sequence Network+ then Security+ then CySA+ is a common route to the higher-paid security roles.
The certificate rarely sets the salary by itself. Check current job postings in your own country for the exact titles you want, and use the survey above as a rough benchmark only.
Government and Compliance Value
In US government and defence-contractor work, Security+ is widely used to meet baseline security workforce requirements, and Network+ is accepted for some networking-focused roles. If your goal is that type of job, confirm the current requirements for your specific position, because the mapping can change and depends on the role category.
Cost and Total Investment
- Network+ exam: USD 369 at retail according to CompTIA’s own blog.
- Security+ exam: about USD 425 according to a third-party article that cites CompTIA’s store as of mid 2025. CompTIA’s pages do not list a price, so confirm it at checkout.
- SY0-801 price: not published at the time of writing.
- Study materials: books, video courses and practice exams vary, and many people spend a few hundred dollars across both.
Both certifications last three years and can be renewed through continuing education or by earning a higher CompTIA certification. If you take both, remember that a higher-level cert can renew the lower ones.
How to Prepare for Network+ (N10-009)
- Read the official exam objectives and tick off what you already know.
- Learn subnetting by hand until it is automatic. It underpins half the exam.
- Build a small lab, even a free simulator, and practise ping, traceroute, nslookup, ipconfig or ifconfig and basic switch commands.
- Study each port and protocol with its purpose, not only its number.
- Practise performance-based questions, because multiple-choice alone will not prepare you.
- Finish with timed practice. Our free N10-009 practice questions are a good way to find weak domains, and the N10-009 exam page has more.
A reasonable timeline is 6 to 10 weeks if you study a few hours a week and already hold A+. Starting from zero, plan for more.
How to Prepare for Security+ (SY0-701)
- Learn the five domains as a map, then go deep on security operations, which is the largest section.
- Memorise frameworks and terms with context, such as when to use symmetric versus asymmetric encryption.
- Practise scenario questions and always ask why the three wrong answers are wrong.
- Review incident response steps, access control models and common attack types until you can name them in your sleep.
- Take a few full-length timed practice exams to build pacing for 90 questions in 90 minutes.
- Use our free SY0-701 practice questions and the SY0-701 exam page for question practice.
Plan 6 to 12 weeks if you already understand networks, and longer if not. If you are sitting SY0-701, book your exam date early, since there is a hard retirement date.
A Simple Decision Framework
Ask yourself four questions:
- Can I explain subnetting, VLANs, DNS and routing without notes? No points toward Network+. Yes points toward Security+.
- Do I need a security credential within three months? Yes points toward Security+.
- Is my next job a network role or a security role? Match the first certification to the job.
- Do I want to take SY0-701 before it retires on June 11, 2027? If so, work backward from that date.
If your answers conflict, take Network+ first and Security+ second. That is the safer sequence, and it is what CompTIA itself recommends.
FAQS
Do I have to pass Network+ before Security+?
No. CompTIA recommends Network+ plus two years of experience for Security+, but it is not a requirement. You can register for Security+ without any other certification.
Is Network+ harder than Security+?
It depends on your background. Network+ is more technical and includes hands-on troubleshooting, while Security+ is broader and more scenario-based. People with networking experience usually find Security+ easier, and the reverse is also true.
How long does it take to prepare for each exam?
Roughly 6 to 10 weeks for Network+ with A+ knowledge, and 6 to 12 weeks for Security+ with some IT experience. Beginners should plan on more time for both.
Which is better for a cybersecurity career?
Security+ is the more direct credential for security jobs, and it is the common baseline in job postings. Network+ is not a security certification, but it builds the foundation that security work relies on.
Should I wait for Security+ SY0-801?
Only if you want to study once for the newer version. CompTIA says SY0-801 launches on or around November 17, 2026, but release dates can slip. SY0-701 stays available in English until June 11, 2027, so waiting is not required.
Can I use an SY0-701 voucher for SY0-801?
No. Exam vouchers are tied to a specific exam code, so a voucher bought for SY0-701 will not work for SY0-801.
Do the two exams have the same format?
They are similar. Both allow up to 90 questions in 90 minutes with multiple-choice and performance-based items. The passing scores differ, 720 for Network+ and 750 for Security+, both on a 100 to 900 scale.
How much do the exams cost?
CompTIA’s blog lists N10-009 at USD 369. Security+ SY0-701 is about USD 425 according to a third-party article citing the CompTIA store, so confirm current pricing on CompTIA’s website before booking.
Which pays more, Network+ or Security+?
In Skillsoft’s 2024 survey, US respondents holding Security+ averaged about USD 102,300 against about USD 98,000 for Network+. The gap is small, and experience and job role matter far more than which certificate you hold.
Do these certifications expire?
Both are valid for three years. You can renew through continuing education credits or by earning a higher-level CompTIA certification.
What should I take after Security+?
Most people choose CySA+ for blue-team work, PenTest+ for offensive roles or SecurityX for senior architecture and governance. Our CySA+ vs SecurityX comparison helps with that decision.
Is Network+ still worth it in 2026?
Yes, if your role touches networking or you want a vendor-neutral foundation before CCNA or Security+. If you already have strong network experience and only need a security credential, you can skip it.
Final Thoughts
For most beginners, Network+ then Security+ is the sensible order, because networking knowledge makes security concepts much easier to understand. If you already have that background, go straight to Security+ and aim at SY0-701 before its June 2027 retirement, or wait for SY0-801 if you prefer the newer syllabus. Either way, check CompTIA’s Network+ page and the Security+ page for the latest dates before you book.
