CySA+ Salary in 2026: Does It Actually Pay Off?
CySA+ costs $395. Does it actually move your salary? Here's the honest breakdown of what the cert does—and doesn't do—for your paycheck.
EpicDetect Team
5 min read
CySA+ Salary in 2026: Does It Actually Pay Off?
You're staring at CySA+ prep materials and wondering: does this certification actually show up in your paycheck?
Short answer: yes, but probably not the way you're expecting. Here's the honest breakdown.
What Is CySA+, Quickly?
CySA+ (CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst) is a blue team certification that sits above Security+ in CompTIA's stack. It validates hands-on analyst skills: threat detection, log analysis, vulnerability assessment, incident response.
It costs $395 to sit the exam. Budget another $100-$200 for study materials.
What Does CySA+ Actually Do for Your Salary?
Let's be direct. CySA+ won't drop $20K on your salary overnight. Here's what it actually does:
It gets you past resume filters. Many Tier 2 and detection engineer job postings list CySA+ as a preferred or required qualification. Without it, your application might not make it to human eyes.
It unlocks higher-tier roles. Most Tier 1 jobs want Security+. CySA+ signals you're ready for Tier 2—and Tier 2 pays $15,000-$25,000 more than Tier 1. For the full salary picture at every tier, see the SOC analyst salary breakdown for 2026.
The salary premium is real but indirect. Analysts with CySA+ typically earn $10,000-$20,000 more than Security+-only peers. But that's mostly because CySA+ holders are working higher-tier roles—not because the cert itself came with a raise.
The cert opened the door. The door led to the money. That's an important distinction.
Who Actually Benefits Most?
The biggest ROI goes to:
- Tier 1 analysts ready to move up who need a credential to prove it
- People applying to government or DoD roles—CySA+ meets DoD 8570 IAT Level II requirements
- Career changers who need to signal genuine blue team commitment beyond Security+
The ROI is lower if:
- You already have 3+ years of experience and can demonstrate skills without it
- Your target employer cares more about hands-on ability than cert lists
- You're planning to pursue GIAC certs next—CySA+ and GCIA overlap significantly
The Math on Whether It's Worth It
Exam fee: ~$395. Study materials: ~$100-$150. Total out of pocket: roughly $500-$550.
If CySA+ helps you land a Tier 2 role or earns you a $10,000 raise, you've made back the investment 18-20x. That's a solid return on $500.
If you already have the skills and experience to move up without it, the $500 might go further toward a GIAC cert that carries more technical weight at the senior level.
Is It Worth It?
Yes—if you:
- Are at Tier 1 and actively working toward Tier 2
- Are applying to roles that list CySA+ as a requirement
- Need to satisfy DoD 8570 requirements
- Want a structured way to validate and demonstrate your blue team skills
Maybe not—if you:
- Already have significant experience you can demonstrate without it
- Are planning GCIA or similar advanced certs within the next 6 months
- Work in an environment where skills and portfolio matter more than cert lists
TL;DR – CySA+ Pays Off, But Indirectly
CySA+ doesn't hand you a raise. It gets you access to the roles that pay more. The ~$500 investment has strong ROI if you're actively moving from Tier 1 to Tier 2—and especially if you're targeting DoD or government roles where it's a formal requirement. Keep in mind that passing the exam alone won't make you job-ready—hands-on practice is what turns cert knowledge into analyst instincts.
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FAQs
Is CySA+ harder than Security+?
Yep, meaningfully so. Security+ tests whether you know what things are. CySA+ tests whether you can actually do the analysis. Expect to spend 2-3x more prep time.
How much do CySA+ job postings actually pay?
Job postings with CySA+ as a requirement typically fall in the $70,000-$95,000 range—versus $50,000-$65,000 for Security+-level roles. The cert isn't the cause, but it's a clear signal of the tier.
Security+ first, then CySA+—or skip straight to CySA+?
If you're new to blue team work, do Security+ first. It builds the vocabulary CySA+ assumes you already have — and here's a clear breakdown of what Security+ actually costs in 2026. If you have solid hands-on experience already, you may be able to jump straight to CySA+.
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Sources & References:
- DoD 8570 Approved Baseline Certifications
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Final thought: CySA+ is a solid cert with real career impact—just understand the mechanism. It opens doors to better roles. The better roles pay more. The cert is the key, not the raise itself.
How EpicDetect Can Help
Want to build the blue team skills CySA+ actually tests? The EpicDetect Atlas covers threat detection, log analysis, and incident response—the hands-on work that makes exam prep easier and actual job performance better.
New here? Sign up and start learning for free. No credit card required.
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