IT support is the stepping stone; cybersecurity is where it often leads. Start in support, stack Security+, and move up.
Side by side
IT Support Specialist
The most reliable front door into tech. One certification plus a home lab gets you a helpdesk seat, and that seat leads to cloud, security or systems work.
Time to qualify
2–5 months
Entry pay
$44k–$56k
Experienced pay
$70k–$100k as a sysadmin, cloud or security engineer
Training cost
$300–$900 for CompTIA A+ prep and exams
Credential
CompTIA A+ (or Google IT Support certificate)
Category
Tech
AI impact
Medium. AI deflects password resets and simple tickets, so the durable value is hardware, networking and escalation troubleshooting.
Key skills
Windows and macOS troubleshooting
Active Directory and Microsoft 365 admin
Networking fundamentals (DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP)
Ticketing systems and documentation
Basic scripting with PowerShell
How to start
Phase 1: Pass CompTIA A+ and build a home lab
Phase 2: Land a helpdesk or field tech role
Phase 3: Pick your specialization within 18 months
Skill-first hiring now dominates security. A baseline certification, a home lab, and incident-response proof of work can land a Junior SOC Analyst role without four years of college.
Time to qualify
3–6 months to job-ready
Entry pay
$55k–$72k as a Junior SOC Analyst
Experienced pay
$85k–$130k+ as a Security Engineer or Incident Responder
Training cost
$400–$1,200 for cert prep, labs and exam
Credential
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)
Category
Tech
AI impact
Low-to-medium. AI handles tier-1 alert triage, but investigation, threat hunting and incident-response judgment remain human-led.
Key skills
Log and SIEM analysis (Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel)
Network packet capture with Wireshark
Vulnerability scanning and MITRE ATT&CK mapping
Incident response playbook execution
Scripting basics in Python or PowerShell
How to start
Phase 1: Pass CompTIA Security+ and start a home lab
Phase 2: Build proof-of-work projects
Phase 3: Land a Junior SOC or security-support role
