Jobs That Require or Benefit from a CompTIA A+ Certification

comptia a+ salary

CompTIA A+ is the industry standard for establishing a career in IT and is the preferred qualifying credential for technical support and IT operational roles. Jobs like support specialist, field service technician, desktop support analyst and help desk tier 2 support use the skills validated by CompTIA A+ certification.

Furthermore, companies like Intel, Dell, Ricoh, Nissan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and HP all look for CompTIA A+ certification in hiring.

Other CompTIA A+ job titles include the following:

• Service desk analyst
• Technical support specialist
• Field service technician
• Associate network engineer
• Data support technician
• Desktop support administrator
• End-user computing technician
• Help desk technician
• System support specialist

The Reality of Mean Salary Percentiles

When researching salaries and aiming your career at specific job titles, remember that you may see a range of salaries for one particular job because some companies, as well as some geographies, will pay more than others.

Companies that pay more may also demand more – in terms of experience or responsibilities. The result is a range of possible salaries for any particular job title and the reality of mean salary percentiles.

1. IT support specialist: $54,500
2. Field service technician: $46,000
3. Desktop support analyst: $60,000
4. Help desk tier 2 support: $45,000

5 Ways to Boost Your Pay

The pay you can expect from a particular IT job can vary significantly from the median pay depending on a number of factors that may benefit your role for a certain position. Here are five ways to help increase your pay:

1. Prior Experience: Reducing training time and having expertise that goes beyond your job description may increase your value to an employer. Similarly, prior related job experience provides trust and builds expectations on the side of an employer that can benefit the numbers on your paycheck.
2. Additional Training and Certifications: If CompTIA A+ isn’t your first certification and if you can showcase additional completed training, you may expand the reach of your certifications and qualify for jobs that you otherwise would not – and, in turn, become a candidate for a higher-paying position. Review CompTIA Stackable Certifications to find out how you can build your IT career path with CompTIA certifications. CompTIA Association for IT Professionals (AITP) also offers access to training.
3. Commitment: Becoming certified is the first step to your IT career. Staying certified is even more important and can show employers that you’re committed to your job and that you’re in sync with a rapidly evolving industry.
4. Regional Differences: The pay for a job in one area may be vastly different than what is offered in another area. For example, a systems administrator working in New York, NY, on average, will make about 15 percent, or $14,650, more than the exact same position in Denver, CO.
5. Industry Variations: Keep in mind that some industries may have, in their details, different expectations for certain job titles than others and offer different pay as a result.