03 — CAREER PATHWAYS
FROM ENTRY
TO EXPERT
A vendor-neutral pathway for IT professionals to achieve infrastructure and cybersecurity mastery — from beginning to end. Each pathway provides clear progression with measurable milestones.
03 — CAREER PATHWAYS
FROM ENTRY
TO EXPERT
A vendor-neutral pathway for IT professionals to achieve infrastructure and cybersecurity mastery — from beginning to end. Each pathway provides clear progression with measurable milestones.
Infrastructure Career Pathway
ITF+
Pre-professional
A+
Entry-level
Network+
Early career
Linux+ / Server+
Early career
Cloud+
Experienced
Cybersecurity Career Pathway
ITF+
Pre-professional
A+
Entry-level
Network+
Early career
Security+
Early career
CySA+ / PenTest+
Experienced
CASP+
Expert
Data & Analytics Pathway
ITF+
Pre-professional
Data+
Early career
DataSys+
Early career
DataX
Expert
04 — STACKABLE CERTIFICATIONS
COMPOUND
YOUR CREDENTIALS
Stackable certifications demonstrate deeper mastery by combining multiple CompTIA credentials — categorized by Specialist (0–2 years), Professional (2–5 years), and Expert (5+ years).
Infrastructure Career Pathway
IT Operations Specialist
A+ / Network+
Systems Support Specialist
A+ / Linux+
Cloud Admin Professional
Network+ / Cloud+
Network Infrastructure Professional
Network+ / Server+
Linux Network Professional
Network+ / Linux+
Cybersecurity Career Pathway
Secure Infrastructure Specialist
A+ / Network+ / Security+
Secure Cloud Professional
Security+ / Cloud+
Security Analytics Professional
Security+ / CySA+
Network Vulnerability Assessment Professional
Security+ / PenTest+
Network Security Professional
Security+ / PenTest+ / CySA+
Security Analytics Expert
Security+ / CySA+ / CASP+
Security Infrastructure Expert
Security+ / CySA+ / PenTest+ / CASP+