In a Q1 2026 Indeed snapshot of 201 private-sector postings that named Security+, 54% required it and 27% preferred it. That is a notably higher requirement rate than the other cybersecurity certifications on this site, which lean preferred. The reason is visible in the employers: the largest were defense contractors, led by General Dynamics IT and Northrop Grumman, followed by Raytheon, SAIC, and Lockheed Martin. In that sector Security+ is treated as a hard requirement rather than a nice-to-have.
The driver is a federal mandate. The Department of Defense 8140 directive, which replaced the long-standing 8570 framework, approves Security+ as a baseline certification for a wide range of cleared information-assurance roles. As a result the credential is effectively mandatory for many defense and government-contractor positions, which is why it both tops the private requirement rate and appears heavily in federal hiring. We found Security+ named in more than 500 federal postings; we report that as a prevalence count rather than a precise rate, because the requirement is often encoded through the directive rather than spelled out in each posting.
Security+ has no salary of its own; it qualifies you for security and infrastructure roles whose pay is set by the underlying job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation that best fits is information security analysts, with a 2024 median of $124,910, entry pay near $66,180, and the top 10% above $182,370. Among the 59% of postings that stated pay, the median was about $120,365, closely matching the BLS figure, a cleaner correspondence than most certs because security salaries are usually stated as real annual figures. Lower-paid support roles ($60,340) also use it as an entry credential.
Demand rests on one of the fastest-growing fields BLS tracks. Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 29% through 2034, far above the 3% average, with about 17,300 openings a year. Security+ is widely treated as the entry point into that field and a prerequisite step before more advanced security certifications. The exam costs $425, is valid for three years, and renews through 50 continuing-education units plus a $150 fee. Active-duty military and federal-contractor employees are frequently funded by their employer or unit under the DoD mandate.