CompTIA CASP+

cybersecurity Advanced Updated: 2025-04-10 Methodology

CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+, CAS-004) is an advanced-level cybersecurity certification for security architects and senior security engineers. It validates risk management, enterprise security operations, architecture, and incident response at a practitioner level — unlike managerial certifications like CISSP.

$120K
Avg Salary
55%
Pass Rate
8.5K
Job Listings
160h
Study Time
$494
Exam Cost

Exam Details

Exam CodeCAS-004
Exam Cost$494 USD
Duration165 minutes
Questions90
Passing ScorePass/Fail (no scaled score)
ProviderCompTIA
Difficulty8/10

Salary Data

Professionals holding the CompTIA CASP+ certification earn between $90,000 and $165,000 annually, with an average of $120,000.

Job market demand trend: Stable (+6% YoY)

Prerequisites

  • No formal prerequisites
  • CompTIA Security+ or equivalent knowledge recommended
  • Minimum 10 years of IT experience with 5 years of hands-on security experience recommended

Skills Covered

Security ArchitectureEnterprise Security OperationsGovernance, Risk & ComplianceSecurity Engineering & CryptographyIncident ResponseVulnerability ManagementCloud & Hybrid SecurityResearch & Development

Best Study Resources

Official

CompTIA CASP+ Official Study Guide

 Course

Jason Dion CASP+ Course — Udemy

 Practice Exams

Kaplan IT Training Practice Labs

Comparisons Featuring CompTIA CASP+

CASP+ vs CISSP

CASP+ and CISSP both sit at the advanced level of cybersecurity certifications, but they pull professionals in opposite ...

Career Paths With CompTIA CASP+

Security Engineer

Security engineers design, implement, and maintain an organization's security systems and infrastruc...

$85K - $175K +28%

Frequently Asked Questions

CASP+ vs CISSP — which is better?
They serve different roles. CASP+ is hands-on and technical, ideal for practitioners who want to stay in engineering and architecture. CISSP is managerial, designed for security leaders and decision-makers. CASP+ is better if you prefer deep technical work over policy and governance.
Is CASP+ recognized by the DoD?
Yes. CASP+ is approved for DoD 8570 IAT Level III and IASAE Level I and II positions, making it one of the most valuable certifications for government and defense contractor roles.
How hard is the CASP+ exam?
CASP+ is one of the more challenging CompTIA exams. It includes performance-based questions and complex scenarios with no single correct answer. Strong hands-on experience is essential — studying alone is rarely enough.

Data Sources

  • Salary data — Aggregated from job postings and salary surveys (US median)
  • Job listings — Active postings across major job boards
  • Pass rates — Community-reported estimates (not official vendor data)
  • Exam details — CompTIA official documentation