Is Network+ Worth It, or Should You Skip Straight to Security+?
Is Network+ worth it, or should you skip straight to Security+? An honest read on what employers do with N10-009 and when skipping it actually makes sense.
Is Network+ worth it? For someone heading into networking, systems, or infrastructure roles, yes, because it proves depth that the A+ only touches. For someone whose target is cybersecurity specifically, the honest answer is that you can often skip it and go straight to Security+, since Security+ carries more weight for security hiring and is the credential many employers actually ask for.
So the real question is not whether Network+ is a good certification. It is whether Network+ is worth it for your path. The answer turns on where you want to end up, and the two most common answers point in different directions. Here is the straight version.
Quick takeaways
- Network+ is worth it if you are aiming at networking, systems administration, or infrastructure roles, where its depth is directly relevant.
- If your goal is cybersecurity specifically, you can often skip Network+ and go straight to Security+, which employers ask for more directly.
- Network+ is CompTIA N10-009, a single vendor-neutral exam. It proves networking knowledge no single-vendor cert covers.
- The knowledge still helps even if you skip the exam. Security+ assumes networking fundamentals you would learn studying for Network+.
- The decision is about your target role, not about whether the cert is "good." It is a good cert aimed at a specific path.
- PrepClubs is independent prep material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA.
What employers actually do with a Network+
The value of Network+ comes down to how hiring managers read it, and it is genuinely respected, just for a specific reason: it is vendor-neutral. Where a Cisco cert proves you know Cisco gear, Network+ proves you understand networking concepts that apply everywhere, which is why it shows up on entry and mid-level networking, help desk escalation, and systems roles.
Search interest reflects steady demand: terms like "comptia network+ jobs" pull a couple hundred monthly U.S. searches, which tells you people are actively mapping the cert to postings. Realistically, Network+ maps to roles like junior network administrator, network technician, and support roles that touch infrastructure. It is a stepping stone, not a senior credential, and its honest job is to get you into networking-adjacent work or to prove you are ready to move up from a pure help desk seat.
We are not going to quote a specific salary number, because networking pay varies widely by role, region, and your other skills, and a made-up average would mislead you. The useful framing: Network+ helps you qualify for networking-track roles, and it is the experience in those roles, plus later certs, that drives compensation.
When to get Network+ and when to skip it
This is the whole decision, and it is cleaner than most "worth it" debates make it.
| Your target | Network+ verdict |
|---|---|
| Networking, sysadmin, infrastructure | Worth it. Directly relevant depth. |
| General IT, keeping options open | Worth it. Broad, vendor-neutral foundation. |
| Cybersecurity specifically | Often skippable. Go to Security+, but learn the networking basics anyway. |
| Already have strong networking experience | Skippable. Experience may cover it. |
Get Network+ if your path runs through networking or infrastructure, or if you want to keep your options open with a broad, vendor-neutral foundation. In those cases it is squarely worth the single exam.
Consider skipping to Security+ if you are certain about cybersecurity. Security+ is the credential many security roles list by name, and it appears on the U.S. Department of Defense approved-baseline lists for certain positions, which matters for government and defense-contractor work. Spending an exam on Network+ first is a detour if security is the destination.
The catch if you skip Network+
Skipping the Network+ exam is defensible. Skipping the networking knowledge is not. Security+ assumes you understand networking fundamentals, ports, protocols, the OSI model, how traffic moves, because you cannot reason about securing a network you do not understand. People who jump straight to Security+ without that foundation often find the material harder than it needed to be.
So if you skip Network+, do it deliberately: study the networking fundamentals anyway, even without sitting the exam, so Security+ has something to build on. Skipping the cert to save time and money is smart. Skipping the concepts to save effort backfires.
FAQ
Is CompTIA Network+ worth it in 2026?
Yes, if you are heading into networking, systems, or infrastructure roles, where its vendor-neutral depth is directly relevant. If your target is cybersecurity specifically, you can often skip it for Security+, though you should still learn the networking fundamentals.
Should I skip Network+ and go straight to Security+?
If you are certain about cybersecurity, that is a defensible path, because Security+ is asked for more directly in security hiring and appears on DoD baseline lists. Just study networking fundamentals anyway, since Security+ assumes them.
What jobs can you get with a Network+?
Typically junior network administrator, network technician, help desk escalation, and infrastructure-adjacent support roles. It is a stepping stone into networking-track work, not a senior credential on its own.
Is Network+ or Security+ better?
Neither is universally better; they serve different paths. Network+ proves networking depth for infrastructure roles. Security+ proves security knowledge for cybersecurity roles and is more widely required for security jobs. Choose based on your target role.
Does Network+ help if I want cybersecurity?
The knowledge does, even if you skip the exam. Security roles require understanding how networks work in order to secure them, so the networking fundamentals Network+ covers are genuinely useful. Many people learn that material and go straight to the Security+ exam.
Is the Network+ exam hard?
It is a single exam of up to 90 questions, per CompTIA, and it goes deeper on networking than the A+. Subnetting and performance-based questions are the main difficulty. It is very passable with deliberate practice, especially on subnetting.
Related on PrepClubs
- Network+ vs Security+: which CompTIA cert to take next and why order matters.
- CompTIA Network+ practice test: the full N10-009 drill guide if you decide to go for it.
- Is Security+ worth it?: the honest read on the security cert.
- The CompTIA Trifecta: how A+, Network+, and Security+ stack into a career path.
Whichever you choose, pass it on the first try
Network+ is worth it for the networking track and often skippable for a pure cybersecurity path, but whichever exam you commit to, the money is best spent passing on the first attempt. PrepClubs' Network+ track gives you a free N10-009 diagnostic to place you first, then a full-length bank with subnetting drills, PBQ-style tasks, and written rationales that explain the reasoning behind each answer. It is a one-time purchase with 30 days of access, not a subscription. If you prepare with PrepClubs and do not pass your real test, we extend your access at no extra cost. No fine print. PrepClubs has helped more than 1,600 students prepare for cognitive and certification assessments. Start with the free Network+ diagnostic.
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