CCNA V Comptia Security+

rfowler

Hi guys,

Need some advice I am stuck between doing the Cisco CCNA or CompTIA Security+...

I need to do the one where i will have a very good chance of getting a good job with good salary prospect.

please help

LarryDaMan

I would think the CCNA has more immediate earning potential. It's funny that you mentioned this topic, because I got this e-mail the other day:



By the year 2016, it is projected that 400,000 additional networking professionals will be needed.*

Knowledge is power, and certification is your proof. Cisco Career Certifications differentiate you in the market and accelerate your progress towards a successful future.

Take a complimentary Learning@Cisco Self-Assessment on networking technologies through the Cisco Learning Network. Test your knowledge in Routing and Switching, Voice, Security, and Wireless—and get free learning recommendations, too.

The demand for skilled IT networking professionals to manage the tools that keep information and communications flowing continues to grow, and the demand for specialized networking skills is growing even faster. In the next five years, the demand for wireless network specialists is expected to double. The demand for network security specialists is expected to grow 80% and voice network specialists by 70%.**

Cisco Career Certifications bring valuable, measurable rewards to network professionals and the organizations that employ them:

Annual salaries of Cisco Certified professionals increase, on average, from 10-20% over those of non-certified individuals***

On average, CCNAs earn $80,890 US per year, while Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certificate holders average $120,330 US per year***



*Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, **June 2008, Forrester Consulting survey commissioned by Cisco, ***Payscale.com January 2009

Paul Boz

LarryDaMan wrote: »

On average, CCNAs earn $80,890 US per year

I'm getting ****ed

Megadeth4168

I haven't looked into this to know enough about how they calculate their findings. Keep in mind there are some things to think about before you feel screwed over.

Some examples:

Do they include benefits into the overall figure?
Do they break it down by region?
Do they exclude a CCIE from the CCNA overall figure? A CCIE on a salary survey may also check off CCNA.

There are a ton of factors to consider.

dynamik

Megadeth4168 wrote: »

Do they exclude a CCIE from the CCNA overall figure? A CCIE on a salary survey may also check off CCNA.

Yea, that has to be what's going on since I highly doubt people with only CCNAs are making that much on average. I'm not saying that there can't be some very skilled people who haven't bothered to get certified past the CCNA, just that that seems way off for the average. I'm sure the A+ get's jacked up that way as well. Look at what those salary surveys say for the A+; there's just no way it commands that type of salary alone.

ipconfig.all

Do ccna its in demand.Security + is mainly about entry level security so its not that hard.How ever ccna is a tough one.

dynamik

Ah, I missed the OP's question. Do both! I think the Security+ compliments the CCNA well. If you could only do one, I'd go with the CCNA. The Security+ is definitely a complimentary cert and doesn't really stand well on its own.

rfowler

So overall CCNA will put in good stead to get a job with a average salary.

At the moment am doing IT support earning around the £30k mark is that good?

down77

rfowler wrote: »

So overall CCNA will put in good stead to get a job with a average salary.

At the moment am doing IT support earning around the £30k mark is that good?

It depends on how much experience you have, the job duties that are assigned, and the market area that you live in. I would venture to say that is a fair salary for entry level IT Support.

rfowler

I have about 4 years experiance with a computer science degree and live in London

Daniel333

They are really not comparable in difficutly or business application. CCNA wins in both.

Dont let those survey's distract you from the marketability of these certs. Monster.com is probably the best way to see how much your skill set is worth on average.

UnixGuy

Go for both. Any IT professional should have the basics of Security and networking.

I have them both, and the main focus of my job is neither networking nor security. But still the knowledge makes things easier for me.


As of salary wise...I don't think any of these certs will make much difference in pay, but I recommend you getting them if you want to be a successful IT professional.

djhss68

Daniel333 wrote: »

They are really not comparable in difficutly or business application. CCNA wins in both.

Dont let those survey's distract you from the marketability of these certs. Monster.com is probably the best way to see how much your skill set is worth on average.

I like this guy. Always telling it like it is.

dynamik

djhss68 wrote: »

I like this guy. Always telling it like it is.

Me too. +1