Is the CompTIA Data+ Worth It?
Strengths
- Entry point into IT careers with $72,000 average salary
- Good job market demand with 15.0K active listings
- Achievable exam with 78% community-reported pass rate
- No prerequisites required — accessible to career changers and newcomers
Considerations
- Moderate exam investment at $358
- Has prerequisites — not suitable for complete beginners
Bottom line: At $358 exam cost with an average salary of $72,000, the CompTIA Data+ offers a solid return on investment for data-analytics professionals. Not sure if this is the right choice? See how it stacks up in our CompTIA Data+ vs AWS Cloud Practitioner comparison.
Who Should Get the CompTIA Data+?
This certification is a good fit if you are:
- IT newcomers looking to validate foundational knowledge
- Career changers transitioning into technology
- Anyone targeting roles that list CompTIA Data+ as preferred or required
This certification is a key step on the Business Intelligence Analyst career path and 2 other career roadmaps.
Exam Details
Salary Data
Professionals holding the CompTIA Data+ certification earn between $52,000 and $95,000 annually, with an average of $72,000. For context, the Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer averages $150,000.
Job market demand trend: Growing (+14% YoY)
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
- No formal prerequisites required
- 18-24 months of experience in data analytics or related field recommended
Skills Covered
Best Study Resources
CompTIA CertMaster Learn for Data+
CourseCompTIA Data+ Study Guide by Sybex
CourseMike Chapple — CompTIA Data+ Course (LinkedIn Learning)
Comparisons Featuring CompTIA Data+
CompTIA Data+ vs AWS Cloud Practitioner
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CompTIA Data+ vs Google Data Analytics Certificate
CompTIA Data+ vs Google Data Analytics Certificate: two popular entry-level credentials for aspiring data analysts. Data...
Microsoft Power BI PL-300 vs CompTIA Data+
Microsoft Power BI PL-300 vs CompTIA Data+: a tool-specific visualization certification versus a vendor-neutral data ana...
Career Paths With CompTIA Data+
Business Intelligence Analyst
Business intelligence analysts turn raw data into actionable business insights that drive strategic ...
Data Analyst
Data analysts transform raw data into actionable insights that drive business decisions. With organi...
Data Engineer
Data engineers design, build, and maintain the infrastructure and pipelines that move and transform ...
More Data & Analytics Certifications
View all →Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer
Google Cloud · Professional
AWS Machine Learning Specialty
Amazon Web Services · Specialty
Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer
Google Cloud · Advanced
AWS Certified Database — Specialty
Amazon Web Services · Advanced
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CompTIA Data+ worth it in 2026?
How hard is the CompTIA Data+ exam?
CompTIA Data+ vs Google Data Analytics Certificate — which is better?
Explore other options in data-analytics: Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer, AWS Machine Learning Specialty, and more in our Data & Analytics 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 Data+" Count sampled quarterly; fluctuates daily. | Aggregate | verified 29d ago |
| Average salary | Glassdoor — CompTIA Data+ 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 Data+ 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