Exam fee
Varies by country
CompTIA shows the price for your country before you pay
Cost, pay and fit
Is Network+ worth it?
It depends where you’re heading. Network+ is worth it as a foundation for security or systems work, or for a first job in network support. If you want to be a network engineer, CCNA goes further and is more hands-on.
Last updated
The cost
What it costs
The exam fee is the certification’s fixed cost. Study material and your own time come on top.
Keeping it
Valid for 3 years
Earn 30 CEUs within the three years and pay the CE fee
A fee covers one attempt: if you don’t pass, the next attempt is paid for again. What every exam costs
The return
What the jobs pay
US government figures for the occupations this certification most often leads to.
Computer network support specialists
$76,220
Median pay a year, 2025
- Employed
- 152,500
- Openings a year
- About 9,000
- Outlook
- Expected to grow slower than average (1% to 2%) from 2025 to 2035
Network and computer systems administrators
$99,130
Median pay a year, 2025
- Employed
- 323,600
- Openings a year
- About 13,400
- Outlook
- Expected to decline (−1% or lower) from 2025 to 2035
Network+ leads first to network support roles and, with experience, to network and systems administration.
These figures cover everyone in the occupation in the United States, with or without the certification, at every level of experience. Starting pay is lower, and no certification guarantees a job.
Source: O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor), from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and employment projections. Checked November 10, 2026. How we check our facts
Recognition
What the vendor says
Quoted from the vendor’s own page, so read it as their claim.
CompTIA lists Network+ for NICE and DoD 8140 work roles: technical support specialist, network operations specialist and system administrator.
CompTIA’s Network+ page · Read November 10, 2026
Your decision
Is Network+ worth it for you?
It’s worth it if
- you need networking fundamentals before Security+ or a cloud certification.
- you’re aiming at network support, systems administration or a help desk role with more responsibility.
- you want a vendor-neutral certification, or a US Department of Defense role asks for one.
Think twice if
- you’re set on network engineering: go to CCNA.
- you already set up and troubleshoot networks at work.
FAQs
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
Find quick answers or contact our support team.
Is Network+ worth it in 2026?
It depends where you’re heading. Network+ is worth it as a foundation for security or systems work, or for a first job in network support. If you want to be a network engineer, CCNA goes further and is more hands-on.
How much does Network+ cost?
Varies by country. CompTIA shows the price for your country before you pay.
What jobs does Network+ lead to, and what do they pay?
The closest occupations are computer network support specialists (median pay $76,220 a year in 2025) and network and computer systems administrators (median pay $99,130 a year in 2025). The figures are for the United States, from O*NET OnLine, the US Department of Labor’s occupation database. They cover everyone in the occupation, with or without the certification, so starting pay is lower.
Does Network+ expire?
Valid for 3 years. To keep it: earn 30 CEUs within the three years and pay the CE fee.
How hard is Network+?
We rate it beginner, going by the level CompTIA gives it and the experience it expects. You need 720 out of 900. CompTIA recommends A+ and 9–12 months in networking. It isn’t required to sit the exam.
