Is the CompTIA PenTest+ Worth It?
Strengths
- Strong earning potential with an average salary of $110,000
Considerations
- Moderate exam investment at $392
- Moderate difficulty (6/10) — plan for focused study time
- Has prerequisites — not suitable for complete beginners
Bottom line: At $392 exam cost with an average salary of $110,000, the CompTIA PenTest+ offers a solid return on investment for cybersecurity professionals. Not sure if this is the right choice? See how it stacks up in our CompTIA PenTest+ vs CEH comparison.
Who Should Get the CompTIA PenTest+?
This certification is a good fit if you are:
- Professionals with 1-3 years of cybersecurity experience looking to advance
- IT practitioners seeking vendor-specific validation of their skills
- Anyone targeting roles that list CompTIA PenTest+ as preferred or required
This certification is a key step on the Penetration Tester / Ethical Hacker career path.
Exam Details
Salary Data
Professionals holding the CompTIA PenTest+ certification earn between $80,000 and $150,000 annually, with an average of $110,000. For context, the CISSP averages $152,000.
Job market demand trend: Growing (+11% 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
- CompTIA Security+ or equivalent knowledge recommended
- 3-4 years of hands-on information security experience recommended
- Familiarity with penetration testing tools (Nmap, Burp Suite, Metasploit)
Skills Covered
Best Study Resources
CompTIA PenTest+ Exam Objectives (PT0-002)
CourseJason Dion — CompTIA PenTest+
Hands-on LabsTryHackMe — PenTest+ Learning Path
Practice ExamsCompTIA CertMaster Practice
Comparisons Featuring CompTIA PenTest+
CEH vs CompTIA PenTest+: Which Penetration Testing Certification?
CEH and PenTest+ both validate penetration testing skills, but they differ sharply in cost, industry recognition, and ap...
CompTIA Security+ vs CompTIA PenTest+
CompTIA Security+ vs CompTIA PenTest+: both from the same vendor but targeting different career paths. Security+ covers ...
Career Paths With CompTIA PenTest+
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is CompTIA PenTest+ worth it?
PenTest+ vs OSCP — which should I get?
How hard is the PenTest+ exam?
Explore other options in cybersecurity: CISSP, AWS Certified Security — Specialty, and more in our Cybersecurity 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 PenTest+" Count sampled quarterly; fluctuates daily. | Aggregate | verified 29d ago |
| Average salary | Glassdoor — CompTIA PenTest+ 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 PenTest+ 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