IT Career Roadmap — Starting From Zero
A practical certification and career roadmap for anyone starting in IT from scratch — covering the core three CompTIA certs, when to branch into networking, cloud, or security, and what jobs and salaries to expect at each stage.
This roadmap reflects my personal opinion based on my own experience working in IT. It is not a guarantee of employment, salary, or career progression. Salary ranges are rough estimates based on US market data as of 2026 and vary significantly by location, employer, experience, and negotiation. Your path will depend on your own goals, background, and the job market at the time. Use this as a starting point, not a blueprint.
Where Everyone Starts
IT certifications follow a progression that mirrors the job market itself. The first three CompTIA certifications are the standard foundation — not because they're the only path, but because each one unlocks a real job tier and builds the skills the next one assumes you already have.
In my opinion, the path most likely to get you employed at each stage looks like this:
+-----------------------------+
| Start here |
| CompTIA A+ V15 |
| Help Desk / Support |
+--------------+--------------+
|
+--------------v--------------+
| CompTIA Network+ |
| NOC / Jr. Sysadmin |
+--------------+--------------+
|
+--------------v--------------+
| CompTIA Security+ |
| Security / Gov / Defense |
+--------------+--------------+
|
+---------------------+---------------------+
| | |
+----------v----------+ +--------v--------+ +---------v---------+
| Networking / | | Cloud / | | Security / |
| Infrastructure | | Sysadmin | | Offensive |
| | | | | |
| Cisco CCNA | | AZ-900 / AWS | | CySA+ / PenTest+ |
| Network Engineer | | Cloud Practit. | | SOC Analyst |
+----------------------+ +-----------------+ +-------------------+Stage 1 — CompTIA A+
Current version: Core 1 (220-1201) + Core 2 (220-1202)
A+ is the entry ticket. It covers hardware, operating systems, mobile devices, basic networking, troubleshooting, and operational procedures. Most hiring managers for tier-1 support treat this as the baseline expectation, not a differentiator.
What you learn: Installing and configuring hardware, OS installs and maintenance, basic network connectivity, troubleshooting methodology, security fundamentals, and working with end users.
Jobs you can get:
| Job Title | Typical US Salary Range |
|---|---|
| Help Desk Technician (Tier 1) | $35,000 — $50,000 |
| Desktop Support Technician | $38,000 — $55,000 |
| IT Support Specialist | $40,000 — $58,000 |
| Field Service Technician | $38,000 — $55,000 |
A+ alone gets you in the door. Pair it with any hands-on experience — a homelab, volunteer IT work, or a help desk internship — and you become significantly more competitive than candidates who only have the cert.
Stage 2 — CompTIA Network+
Current version: N10-009
Network+ builds the networking fundamentals that A+ only touches on. Subnetting, routing protocols, network topologies, VLANs, wireless, and network troubleshooting. Once you're doing help desk work, you'll hit the ceiling of what A+ covers fast — Network+ is what lets you move into roles that require understanding the infrastructure, not just the endpoint.
What you learn: The OSI model in practice, TCP/IP, subnetting, switching and routing concepts, wireless standards, network security basics, and systematic network troubleshooting.
Jobs you can get:
| Job Title | Typical US Salary Range |
|---|---|
| NOC Technician | $45,000 — $65,000 |
| Junior Network Administrator | $50,000 — $70,000 |
| IT Administrator | $50,000 — $72,000 |
| Systems Administrator (entry) | $55,000 — $75,000 |
Stage 3 — CompTIA Security+
Current version: SY0-701
Security+ has effectively become a baseline expectation across IT — not just for security roles. It's also DoD 8570/8140-approved, which opens government and defense contractor positions that pay noticeably better than equivalent private-sector roles. Get this even if you don't plan to go into security specifically.
What you learn: Threats and vulnerabilities, cryptography, identity and access management, security architecture, incident response, and governance and compliance frameworks.
Jobs you can get:
| Job Title | Typical US Salary Range |
|---|---|
| Security Analyst (entry) | $60,000 — $85,000 |
| IT Security Specialist | $65,000 — $90,000 |
| Systems Administrator | $60,000 — $85,000 |
| Government/DoD IT roles | $65,000 — $95,000+ |
Security+ is the last generalist cert worth collecting. After this, branch based on what you actually want to do rather than continuing to accumulate broad credentials.
Branch 1 — Networking & Infrastructure
If you want to work on the network itself — routing, switching, firewalls, enterprise infrastructure — the Cisco CCNA is the next logical step. It's more respected than Network+ for actual networking roles and is often what separates "IT support" from "network engineer" on a resume.
Cisco CCNA 200-301
What you learn: Cisco IOS configuration, VLANs, spanning tree, OSPF, ACLs, NAT, wireless, network automation basics, and security fundamentals at a practical, hands-on level.
Jobs you can get:
| Job Title | Typical US Salary Range |
|---|---|
| Network Engineer (junior) | $65,000 — $90,000 |
| Network Administrator | $65,000 — $95,000 |
| NOC Engineer | $60,000 — $85,000 |
| Infrastructure Engineer | $75,000 — $105,000 |
What comes after: CCNP (professional level), specializations in enterprise, data center, security, or wireless.
Branch 2 — Cloud & Systems Administration
Almost every infrastructure job now touches cloud in some form. The cloud path starts with a foundation cert to learn the concepts, then moves to an associate-level cert that proves practical skills.
There are two equivalent foundation-level cloud certs — one for each of the two dominant providers. Pick based on your job market or employer preference:
| Cert | Provider | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) | Microsoft Azure | Azure services, architecture, governance |
| CLF-C02 (Cloud Practitioner) | Amazon Web Services | AWS services, shared responsibility, pricing |
The cloud concepts covered — IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, shared responsibility model, pricing models, high availability — are nearly identical between the two. Either one satisfies the "cloud fundamentals" requirement on a resume. Some people take both since the overlap makes the second one quick to study.
Microsoft AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals)
The conceptual entry point for Azure — cloud concepts, core Azure services, pricing, compliance, and the fundamentals of cloud architecture. A foundation cert, not a job-getter on its own, but it establishes the vocabulary and concepts for the associate level.
What you learn: Cloud concepts (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), core Azure services, identity and governance, pricing models, and compliance basics.
AWS CLF-C02 (Cloud Practitioner)
The equivalent entry point for AWS — cloud concepts, AWS core services (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, VPC), the shared responsibility model, IAM basics, and AWS pricing and support plans.
What you learn: AWS global infrastructure, compute and storage services, the shared responsibility model, IAM fundamentals, billing and pricing models, and AWS support options.
After the foundation cert
| Cert | Focus | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) | Managing Azure resources, VMs, networking, storage | Cloud Administrator, $75,000 — $110,000 |
| AWS Solutions Architect Associate | Designing AWS infrastructure | Cloud Architect, $85,000 — $120,000 |
| AZ-305 (Azure Solutions Architect) | Advanced Azure architecture | Solutions Architect, $95,000 — $135,000 |
Branch 3 — Security
If Security+ sparked an interest in security specifically, there are two main directions depending on whether you prefer defending systems or testing them.
Blue Team (Defensive)
CompTIA CySA+ — threat detection, SIEM tools, incident response, vulnerability management. The natural follow-on to Security+ for defensive security work.
| Job Title | Typical US Salary Range |
|---|---|
| SOC Analyst (Tier 2) | $65,000 — $95,000 |
| Security Operations Analyst | $70,000 — $100,000 |
| Threat Intelligence Analyst | $75,000 — $110,000 |
Red Team (Offensive)
CompTIA PenTest+ — penetration testing methodology, vulnerability scanning, exploitation techniques, and reporting. For roles that involve actively testing systems for weaknesses.
| Job Title | Typical US Salary Range |
|---|---|
| Penetration Tester (junior) | $70,000 — $100,000 |
| Vulnerability Analyst | $65,000 — $95,000 |
| Security Consultant | $80,000 — $115,000 |
Worth Knowing About
CompTIA SecAI+ (2026) — AI-focused security certification covering AI system threats, security for AI deployments, and AI-assisted security operations. Not a beginner cert — assumes you already have security fundamentals — but relevant if you're interested in where security is heading.
Practical Notes
Certs alone don't get you hired. A homelab, help desk internship, or any hands-on IT experience alongside A+ carries real weight. Employers want evidence that you've actually touched the technology.
The Google IT Support Professional Certificate (available on Coursera) is a cheaper, faster on-ramp before or alongside A+. It doesn't carry the same industry recognition as A+, but it's useful if cost or exam anxiety is a barrier to getting started.
Study in order. Each cert assumes the knowledge of the previous one. Jumping to CCNA without Network+ fundamentals is harder than it needs to be.
Budget for retakes. First-attempt pass rates vary. Factor a potential retake into your budget and timeline — it's normal, not a failure.
Study Resources
This site has cheat sheets for several of the certs on this roadmap. They're designed for quick review alongside your main study materials — not as a replacement for them.
Open the certification cheat sheets — covers A+, Network+, Linux+, Security+, CCNA, AZ-900, and AWS CLF-C02 in a single tabbed view.