comparison

Cisco CCST IT Support vs CompTIA A+

CompTIA lists A+ objectives across hardware, operating systems, software troubleshooting, networking, and security; Cisco lists CCST IT Support as an entry-level credential for a first support role. Choose CCST IT Support for a shorter Cisco-backed first step, and A+ when the learner wants the wider objective set.

Choose between these for my background

Next source review 2026-09-07.

Certification details change. Always confirm final pricing, availability, and credential terms on the official provider page linked in the sources below before you pay for anything.

Decision comparison

Side-by-side comparison

Side-by-side certification tradeoff grid with fit-dependent caveats.

Cited detail

EvidenceCisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT SupportCompTIA A+
Exam code100-140220-1201 (Core 1) and 220-1202 (Core 2)
Exam length50 minutes90 minutes per exam
Credential levelEntryFoundation
Published exam price$125 (exam fee as of 2026-06-13)$548 (exam fee as of 2026-06-13)
Official certification sourceBLS occupation contextO*NET role evidenceRoleMath scoring evidence

Choose by fit

Choose Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support when
  • You want a one-exam Cisco-aligned introduction to IT support.
  • You are testing whether IT support fits before committing to a two-exam path.
  • You prefer Cisco/NetAcad-style learning material.
Choose CompTIA A+ when
  • You want broader hardware, operating-system, networking, troubleshooting, and support coverage.
  • You are prepared to complete the two-exam A+ sequence.
  • You want both Core 1 and Core 2 scope rather than a narrower first step.
Not claimed here
  • Exam pass rates
  • Job placement rates
  • Any job guarantee
  • A salary figure attributed to this certification
  • A salary prediction for you personally
  • Return on investment or a payback period

Related Roles

These are role mappings for career-planning context. Salary and outlook data must stay tied to BLS occupations, not to certification outcomes.

The Relationship column compares a credential's published exam objectives with the work the occupation involves, and names which credential it is describing. A role RoleMath maps to only one of the two credentials shows that one; where both map to it, both are named, and Both means they read the same way for that role. Covers the core means the objectives reach that occupation's main work, Covers groundwork that they reach what it builds on rather than the work itself, and Partial overlap that they meet it only in places; a qualifier such as after a foundation records where RoleMath reads the objectives as assuming earlier study or experience, and Overlap not classified marks a pairing we hold but have not placed on this scale. This is RoleMath's reading of published objectives, not a measurement of hiring: we have not surveyed employers, and nothing here measures how much a credential is asked for or what it does for an application.

Every wage below is the occupation's national annual median wage - the midpoint of that occupation's wage distribution - as published by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025. It is not the OEWS mean, not an average, and not a starting wage. The outlook column is the BLS Employment Projections change for the same occupation over 2024-2034. Both describe the occupation, not an outcome of holding the credential.

RoleRelationshipSOCAnnual median wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025)BLS outlook (2024-2034)
Help Desk TechnicianCisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support - Covers groundwork; CompTIA A+ - Covers the core15-1232$61,860 annual median-3.7%
Junior Systems AdministratorCompTIA A+ - Partial overlap15-1244$99,130 annual median-4.2%

Core source records

This table lists the page’s core content records and when they were checked. Claim-specific citations appear beside the relevant text and may not be repeated here.

Show all 16 sources
IDSupportsSourceChecked
CIT-01Public official credential page for Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support.Cisco Certified Support Technician IT Support - Cisco2026-06-09T03:15:25+00:00
CIT-02Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician.Help Desk Technician BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-03Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician.Help Desk Technician BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-04Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician.Help Desk Technician O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-05Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist.IT Support Specialist BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-06Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist.IT Support Specialist BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-07Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist.IT Support Specialist O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-08Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-09Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-10Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-11Public official credential page for CompTIA A+.A+ Core 1 and 2 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA2026-06-19T04:57:16+00:00
CIT-12Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator.Junior Systems Administrator BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-13Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator.Junior Systems Administrator BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-14Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator.Junior Systems Administrator O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-15The exam fee shown for Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support, and the date beside it, were both read from this published price source on 2026-06-13.Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support exam fee - published price source, read 2026-06-132026-06-13
CIT-16The exam fee shown for CompTIA A+, and the date beside it, were both read from this published price source on 2026-06-13.CompTIA A+ exam fee - published price source, read 2026-06-132026-06-13

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