Is the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Worth It?
Strengths
- Entry point into IT careers with $70,000 average salary
- Achievable exam with 85% community-reported pass rate
Considerations
- Has prerequisites — not suitable for complete beginners
Bottom line: At $139 exam cost with an average salary of $70,000, the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) offers a strong return on investment for cloud professionals.
Who Should Get the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002)?
This certification is a good fit if you are:
- Anyone targeting roles that list CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) as preferred or required
Exam Details
Salary Data
Professionals holding the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) certification earn between $55,000 and $90,000 annually, with an average of $70,000. For context, the AWS Certified Advanced Networking — Specialty averages $155,000.
Job market demand trend: Stable
Disclaimer: Salary figures are US-median estimates compiled from BLS wage statistics, Glassdoor, and job-posting aggregates. They are estimates only, not financial advice or a guarantee of earnings. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, employer, and negotiation.
Prerequisites
- 6 months cloud experience recommended
Skills Covered
Best Study Resources
CompTIA CertMaster Learn for Cloud Essentials+
BookCloud Essentials+ Study Guide — Sybex
CourseITProTV — Cloud Essentials+ Course
More Cloud Certifications
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who should get Cloud Essentials+?
Is Cloud Essentials+ easier than AWS Cloud Practitioner?
Does Cloud Essentials+ expire?
Explore other options in cloud: AWS Certified Advanced Networking — Specialty, AWS Solutions Architect Professional, and more in our Cloud Certifications hub.
Sources for every data point
Each quantitative claim on this page is mapped to a verifiable source. Official vendor pages and government datasets are preferred; community estimates and editorial extrapolations are flagged explicitly.
| Data point | Source | Tier | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam duration | CompTIA — official exam guide Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Exam code | CompTIA — official certification page Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Passing score | CompTIA — official exam guide Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Exam price | CompTIA — official certification page Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Question count | CompTIA — official exam guide Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Job listings | LinkedIn — active US postings mentioning "CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002)" Count sampled quarterly; fluctuates daily. | Aggregate | verified 29d ago |
| Average salary | Glassdoor — CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) role salary (US) Aggregate from public salary postings. Cross-checked against BLS OEWS for the closest SOC category. | Aggregate | verified 29d ago |
| Salary range | Glassdoor + Payscale — CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) salary distribution 10th–90th percentile derived from public salary aggregators. | Aggregate | verified 29d ago |
| Pass rate | Community consensus — CompTIA pass-rate discussions Most vendors do not publish pass rates. Community data is self-reported with survivor bias. | Community | verified 29d ago |
| Study hours | Community consensus — certification subreddits and TechExams threads Typical range for candidates with modest prior experience in the domain. | Community | verified 29d ago |
| Demand trend | LinkedIn + Indeed — multi-quarter listing comparison Editorial summary of YoY listing change. | Editorial estimate | verified 29d ago |
Data Sources & Transparency
- Salary data — Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, and job posting aggregates (US median)
- Job listings — LinkedIn, Indeed, and Dice active postings (sampled quarterly)
- Pass rates — Community-reported estimates from Reddit, TechExams, and certification forums
- Exam details — CompTIA official certification documentation