comparison

Cisco CCST Networking vs CompTIA Network+

CCST Networking is Cisco's own entry exam - 100-150, 50 minutes, six topic areas, sitting below CCNA in Cisco's track. Network+ is CompTIA's vendor-neutral foundation - N10-009, 90 minutes, five domains with published weightings - and the DoD 8140 matrix lists it as a foundational qualification option for five DCWF work roles at Basic proficiency, where it lists no Cisco CCST exam at all. Take the shorter Cisco-branded step, or the wider vendor-neutral objective set.

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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) NetworkingCompTIA Network+
Exam code100-150N10-009
Exam length50 minutes90 minutes
Credential levelEntryFoundation
Published exam price$125 (exam fee as of 2026-06-12)$399 (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) Networking when
  • You want a lower-cost Cisco-aligned entry point before CCNA.
  • You are unsure whether networking is a long-term path.
  • You prefer a short first credential with official Cisco topic links.
Choose CompTIA Network+ when
  • You want broader vendor-neutral networking coverage.
  • You are preparing for support, cloud, cyber, or network roles.
  • You are aiming at DoD or DoD-contractor work: the 8140 matrix lists Network+ as a qualification option for five DCWF work roles, and lists no CCST exam.
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)
Network AdministratorCisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking - Covers groundwork, before entry; CompTIA Network+ - Covers groundwork15-1244$99,130 annual median-4.2%
IT Support SpecialistBoth - Covers groundwork15-1232$61,860 annual median-3.7%
Cybersecurity AnalystCompTIA Network+ - Covers groundwork15-1212$129,180 annual median28.5%
Network Automation EngineerCompTIA Network+ - Covers groundwork15-1241$134,050 annual median11.9%
Network Security EngineerCompTIA Network+ - Covers groundwork15-1299$116,580 annual median8.2%

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 37 sources
IDSupportsSourceChecked
CIT-01Public official credential page for Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking.Cisco Certified Support Technician Networking - Cisco2026-06-09T03:15:29+00:00
CIT-02Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist.IT Support Specialist BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-03Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist.IT Support Specialist BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-04Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist.IT Support Specialist O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-05Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Administrator.Network Administrator BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-06Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Administrator.Network Administrator BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-07Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Administrator.Network Administrator O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-08Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician.Help Desk Technician BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-09Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician.Help Desk Technician BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-10Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician.Help Desk Technician O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-11Public official credential page for CompTIA Network+.Network+ (Plus) Certification | CompTIA2026-06-19T04:57:20+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-15Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Support Associate.Cloud Support Associate BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-16Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Support Associate.Cloud Support Associate BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-17Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Support Associate.Cloud Support Associate O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-18Supports occupation-level labor context for Cybersecurity Analyst.Cybersecurity Analyst BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-19Supports occupation-level labor context for Cybersecurity Analyst.Cybersecurity Analyst BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-20Supports occupation-level labor context for Cybersecurity Analyst.Cybersecurity Analyst O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-21Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-22Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-23Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-24Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Security Engineer.Network Security Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-25Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Security Engineer.Network Security Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-26Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Security Engineer.Network Security Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-27Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Automation Engineer.Network Automation Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-28Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Automation Engineer.Network Automation Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-29Supports occupation-level labor context for Network Automation Engineer.Network Automation Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-30Supports occupation-level labor context for Security Engineer.Security Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-31Supports occupation-level labor context for Security Engineer.Security Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-32Supports occupation-level labor context for Security Engineer.Security Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-33Supports occupation-level labor context for Systems Engineer.Systems Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-34Supports occupation-level labor context for Systems Engineer.Systems Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-35Supports occupation-level labor context for Systems Engineer.Systems Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-36The exam fee shown for Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking, and the date beside it, were both read from this published price source on 2026-06-12.Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking exam fee - published price source, read 2026-06-122026-06-12
CIT-37The exam fee shown for CompTIA Network+, and the date beside it, were both read from this published price source on 2026-06-13.CompTIA Network+ exam fee - published price source, read 2026-06-132026-06-13

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