Roadmap
The IT certification roadmap, priced honestly
Every certification we track, laid out by career track and experience level, with the real exam cost on every step. Tracks are lanes, not mandatory ladders: nobody needs every node, and the right entry point depends on the job you want, not on collecting badges. Each card links the full profile, including who should skip it.
47 certifications · costs verified at the vendor · DoD 8140 approval flagged where the vendor publishes it
IT support
The service-desk and end-user foundation most IT careers start from.
Entry No experience requirement at the door
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CompTIA A+
$548 DoD 8140
Mid Assumes working IT footing
No mid-level certification in this lane yet.
Advanced Experience requirements apply
No advanced-level certification in this lane yet.
Networking
Switching, routing, and the infrastructure under everything else.
Entry No experience requirement at the door
-
Cisco CCNA
$300 DoD 8140
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CompTIA Network+
$399 DoD 8140
Mid Assumes working IT footing
No mid-level certification in this lane yet.
Advanced Experience requirements apply
No advanced-level certification in this lane yet.
Cloud
AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, from vocabulary badges to architect exams.
Entry No experience requirement at the door
Mid Assumes working IT footing
-
CompTIA Cloud+
$399 DoD 8140
Advanced Experience requirements apply
-
ISC2 CCSP
$599 DoD 8140
Security
Defensive and general information security, the largest hiring lane.
Entry No experience requirement at the door
-
ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity
$199 DoD 8140
-
Cisco CyberOps Associate
$300 DoD 8140
-
CompTIA Security+
$439 DoD 8140
-
GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)
$999 DoD 8140
Mid Assumes working IT footing
-
CompTIA SecAI+
$298
-
CompTIA CySA+
$439 DoD 8140
Advanced Experience requirements apply
-
CompTIA SecurityX
$529 DoD 8140
-
ISC2 CISSP
$749 DoD 8140
Offensive security
Penetration testing and ethical hacking.
Entry No experience requirement at the door
No entry-level certification in this lane yet.
Mid Assumes working IT footing
-
CompTIA PenTest+
$439 DoD 8140
-
EC-Council CEH
$1,199 DoD 8140
Advanced Experience requirements apply
-
OffSec OSCP
$1,749
Audit and governance
Assurance, risk, and security management.
Entry No experience requirement at the door
No entry-level certification in this lane yet.
Mid Assumes working IT footing
No mid-level certification in this lane yet.
Advanced Experience requirements apply
-
ISACA CISA
$760 DoD 8140
-
ISACA CISM
$760 DoD 8140
Linux and systems
The operating-system layer: administration and automation.
Entry No experience requirement at the door
No entry-level certification in this lane yet.
Mid Assumes working IT footing
-
CompTIA Linux+
$399 DoD 8140
-
Red Hat RHCSA
$500
Advanced Experience requirements apply
No advanced-level certification in this lane yet.
Process and platform
Project delivery, service management, and platform administration.
Entry No experience requirement at the door
-
SnowPro Core
$175
-
ITIL 4 Foundation
$690
Mid Assumes working IT footing
-
PMP
$405
Advanced Experience requirements apply
No advanced-level certification in this lane yet.
How to read this: start in the lane your target job actually sits in, at the level your experience honestly supports. One relevant certification plus evidence you can do the work beats a shelf of unrelated badges; which certs actually compound, by role covers the stacking logic, and how to pay less for the exam covers the price. Every cost above is the vendor's published exam price, verified on the date in each profile.