5 CompTIA A+ Jobs to Know in 2025: Titles, Duties, and Pay

To qualify for entry-level IT roles, you’ll need to have a firm understanding of computer and data systems. Fortunately, one of the best ways to show you have the necessary skills is by obtaining CompTIA A+ certification. This qualification demonstrates the certificate holder’s competence in foundational IT topics like hardware, software, and operating systems. 

What jobs can you expect to qualify for with CompTIA A+ certification exactly, and how much can you realistically expect to earn? 

Read on to learn about some of the entry-level IT jobs you may qualify for with professional certification and how much they pay. Then, you’ll discover additional certifications you might consider pursuing, including other online, cost-effective Professional Certificates that could help you gain job-relevant skills today. 

CompTIA A+ certification jobs 

To obtain CompTIA A+ certification, you’ll need to pass two exams covering fundamental IT topics, such as mobile devices, virtualising, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. With a CompTIA A+ certification, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of entry-level IT jobs.

Some of the roles you can expect to qualify for with CompTIA A+ certification can include: 

1. IT support specialist 

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £30,605 [1]

IT support specialists provide users with expert technical guidance and help them troubleshoot problems with their hardware or software. Working in-person or remotely on the phone, IT support specialists help either external clients or internal employees working within the same organisation. 

If you enjoy problem-solving and people-facing roles, you might enjoy this IT career. 

2. Help desk technician 

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £25,032 [2]

Help desk technicians, much like IT support specialists, often work in entry-level IT positions, providing users with either in-person or remote technical guidance to help them solve common hardware and software problems. However, unlike IT support specialists, help desk technicians tend to focus primarily on relatively common problems that can be solved quickly and don’t require in-depth assistance. 

If you enjoy problem-solving, working with others, and thinking quickly on your feet, then you might consider pursuing a job as a help desk technician. 

3. Field Technician 

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £27,145 [3]

Field technicians travel to clients to provide on-premise support and guidance, such as troubleshooting software or hardware, repairing computer networks, or installing systems. Typically, field technicians handle relatively complex problems that can’t be solved over the phone and work in a much more hands-on capacity than other IT professionals. 

If you’re intrigued by the possibility of handling some of the more complex IT problems and working in person, then a field technician role might be right for you. 

4. Desktop support specialist 

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £32,647 [4] 

Desktop support specialists provide technical guidance to users and help them resolve common computer problems, including via phone or chat support and in-person. As a result, a desktop support specialist performs many of the same duties as a help desk technician but also often works directly with users’ hardware or software to ensure that it is properly configured, formatted, or installed. 

If you enjoy handling a range of IT problems, from quick-and-easy ones that can be solved over the phone to more complex ones that require hands-on assistance, then a job as a desktop support specialist could be good for you. 

5. Associate network engineer

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £30,322 [5]

Associate network engineers support senior or advanced network engineers as they install, maintain, troubleshoot, or repair users’ computer networks. Capable of working onsite or remotely, associate network engineers assist their more senior counterparts as they do the important work of ensuring the proper functioning of their client’s or employer’s computer network, including the devices connected to it like phones, routers, and laptops. 

If you enjoy the more technical aspects of network design and engineering, you might consider a career as an associate network engineer.

As you’re looking for jobs, you may come across some that don’t just prefer you to have CompTIA A+ certification but actually require it. Some employers that recommend or require CompTIA A+ certification include Dell, Intel, Canon, General Dynamics, and Nissan.) 

If you want to pursue a career at one of these employers, then CompTIA A+ certification might be the right choice for you. 

Other IT certifications to consider

CompTIA A+ certification isn’t the only IT certification readily available. At a glance, some other certifications or certificates you might consider pursuing to improve your chances of landing an entry-level IT job include:

• Cisco Certification 

• CompTIA Security+

• Akamai Network Engineering Professional Certificate 

• Google IT Support Professional Certificate 

• IBM IT Support Professional Certificate 

Prepare for CompTIA A+ jobs by building IT skills on Coursera

As an IT professional, you’ll need to stay updated with the latest technologies to ensure you can do the best possible job. Consider gaining job-relevant skills or honing those you’ve already learnt by taking a cost-effective, online Professional Certificate on Coursera. 

For example, you’ll have opportunities to hone skills like computer networking, network architecture, and computer programming with the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. Or, you can gain practical knowledge of cloud fundamentals with options like the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate, a beginner-friendly, nine-course series that can help you learn about cloud security, architecture, and management.