CCNA, CCST, A+ or Security+: which credential should come first?

CCNA is one of the best-known networking credentials, which is exactly why people book it before asking whether it is their next step.

What CCNA proves

The Cisco Certified Network Associate is Cisco's associate-level networking credential. You earn it by passing one exam, 200-301 CCNA. It says you can build, operate and troubleshoot small and medium networks, including switching, routing, IP addressing, wireless, network services, security and the automation that now manages them.

It does not prove that you can design a large enterprise or service provider network, or run one alone. Interviewers test judgement separately, which is why practical proof matters alongside the letters.

Where it sits among Cisco's levels

Cisco groups its credentials into four levels. Below CCNA sit the entry-level Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) credentials. Above it are the professional credentials such as CCNP Enterprise, and at the top the expert-level CCIE. CCNA has no prerequisites, so anyone can book it.

Four questions to answer honestly

Four yes answers mean go. Three mean fix the weak point and then go. Two or fewer mean choose an earlier step.

When another credential should come first

You are new to IT. CompTIA A+ or a Cisco CCST builds the foundations that CCNA assumes. Subnetting and the command line are hard enough without also learning what a DHCP lease is.

Your goal is security. CompTIA Security+ may serve you better this year, followed by a network credential later if your role needs one.

Your employer lives in the cloud. AWS Cloud Practitioner or Microsoft AZ-900 may come first, because the vocabulary of your daily work will be the vendor's.

None of these detours is a loss. Each builds a base that makes the next credential faster.

Read the pay data with care

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of US$99,130 for network and computer systems administrators in May 2025. For computer support specialists, a common first role, it reports US$62,890. It projects that employment in both occupations will fall slightly from 2025 to 2035, while openings still arise as people move on.

Those figures describe every worker in those occupations in the United States, many with years of experience. A first role reached through CCNA usually pays less, and pay elsewhere follows local rates. Collect three dated sources for your own market before you set expectations.

What the credential will and will not do

It opens doors to technician, operations and field roles. It does not replace experience. Anyone who treats it as a guaranteed route into a network engineer job often decides it failed them, when it was built to open the door, not to replace the years behind it.

Test it against live adverts

Search your city for five junior network jobs. Write down the job title, whether CCNA is required or preferred, and what else is asked for. If the adverts want packet captures, basic Linux and a cloud platform, add those to your plan. The book's Chapter 2 lists roles and search terms for this test.

Then write your decision on one page: your goal, four answers, the version you will sit and a review date.