- You want a one-exam Cisco-aligned introduction to IT support.
- You are testing whether IT support fits before committing to a two-exam path.
- You prefer Cisco/NetAcad-style learning material.
comparison
Cisco CCST IT Support vs CompTIA A+
CompTIA lists A+ objectives across hardware, operating systems, software troubleshooting, networking, and security; Cisco lists CCST IT Support as an entry-level credential for a first support role. Choose CCST IT Support for a shorter Cisco-backed first step, and A+ when the learner wants the wider objective set.
Choose between these for my backgroundNext source review 2026-09-07.
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
The two credentials side by side, with the caveat that belongs to each fact. Which one is right depends on your situation.
Cited detail
| Evidence | Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support | CompTIA A+ |
|---|---|---|
| Exam code | 100-140 | 220-1201 (Core 1) and 220-1202 (Core 2) |
| Exam length | 50 minutes | 90 minutes per exam |
| Credential level | Entry | Foundation |
| Published exam price | $125 (exam fee as of 2026-06-13) | $548 total — 2 exams at $274 each (exam fee as of 2026-06-13) |
- 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 Learnerside 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 Learnerside 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 Learnerside'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.
| Role | Relationship | SOC | Annual median wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025) | BLS outlook (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Help Desk Technician | Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support - Covers groundwork; CompTIA A+ - Covers the core | 15-1232 | $61,860 annual median | -3.7% |
| Junior Systems Administrator | CompTIA A+ - Partial overlap | 15-1244 | $99,130 annual median | -4.2% |
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 16 sources
| ID | Supports | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIT-01 | Public official credential page for Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support. | Cisco Certified Support Technician IT Support - Cisco | 2026-06-09T03:15:25+00:00 |
| CIT-02 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician. | Help Desk Technician BLS OEWS wage source | 2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00 |
| CIT-03 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician. | Help Desk Technician BLS Employment Projections source | 2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00 |
| CIT-04 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Help Desk Technician. | Help Desk Technician O*NET source | 2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00 |
| CIT-05 | Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist. | IT Support Specialist BLS OEWS wage source | 2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00 |
| CIT-06 | Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist. | IT Support Specialist BLS Employment Projections source | 2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00 |
| CIT-07 | Supports occupation-level labor context for IT Support Specialist. | IT Support Specialist O*NET source | 2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00 |
| CIT-08 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer. | Technical Support Engineer BLS OEWS wage source | 2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00 |
| CIT-09 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer. | Technical Support Engineer BLS Employment Projections source | 2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00 |
| CIT-10 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer. | Technical Support Engineer O*NET source | 2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00 |
| CIT-11 | Public official credential page for CompTIA A+. | A+ Core 1 and 2 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA | 2026-06-19T04:57:16+00:00 |
| CIT-12 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator. | Junior Systems Administrator BLS OEWS wage source | 2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00 |
| CIT-13 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator. | Junior Systems Administrator BLS Employment Projections source | 2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00 |
| CIT-14 | Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator. | Junior Systems Administrator O*NET source | 2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00 |
| CIT-15 | The exam fee shown for Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support, and the date beside it, were both read from this published price source on 2026-06-13. | Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support exam fee - published price source, read 2026-06-13 | 2026-06-13 |
| CIT-16 | The exam fee shown for CompTIA A+, and the date beside it, were both read from this published price source on 2026-06-13. | CompTIA A+ exam fee - published price source, read 2026-06-13 | 2026-06-13 |
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