CompTIA Practice Questions

CompTIA CySA+ Salary Practice Questions

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)Curious what a CompTIA CySA+ salary actually looks like in 2026? Here's real pay data by role and experience, plus five practice questions pulled straight from the CS0-003 exam objectives to help you get certified in the first place.

85
Total Questions
165 minutes
Time Limit
750 / 900
Passing Score
~$404
Registration Fee

Free Sample Questions

Here are 5 free sample questions from our full bank of 560+ CompTIA CySA+ Salarypractice questions. Try them out below — click "Show Answer" to reveal the correct response and explanation.

1

A security analyst notices a spike in outbound DNS traffic to a domain registered less than 24 hours ago. Which of the following BEST describes why this is suspicious?

ANewly registered domains are frequently used for command-and-control (C2) or exfiltration
BDNS traffic volume always indicates a distributed denial-of-service attack
COutbound DNS traffic is never logged by default, so any log entry is abnormal
DNew domains are automatically blocklisted by all DNS resolvers
2

During a vulnerability scan, a CVSS Base Score of 9.8 is reported for an internet-facing web server. Which factor in the CVSS vector would MOST likely justify prioritizing remediation of this finding above others?

AThe vulnerability requires physical access to exploit
BThe vulnerability only affects internal, air-gapped systems
CThe attack complexity is low and no user interaction is required
DThe scanner flagged it as informational severity
3

An organization's incident response team confirms that a workstation has been compromised by ransomware that is actively encrypting files on a shared network drive. According to the incident response lifecycle, what is the MOST appropriate immediate next step?

ANotify the media relations team
BIsolate the affected system(s) from the network to contain the spread
CImmediately wipe and reimage the affected workstation
DWait until the encryption process finishes before taking action
4

A CySA+ candidate is writing an incident report for company leadership after a phishing campaign compromised three employee accounts. Which approach BEST fits effective security communication and reporting practices?

AInclude raw packet captures and full log dumps with no summary
BUse only technical jargon so the report reads as authoritative
CSkip root cause analysis since the incident is already resolved
DSummarize business impact, root cause, and remediation steps in plain language for non-technical stakeholders
5

A SOC analyst is tuning a SIEM rule that has been generating an excessive number of false positives for failed login attempts. Which action would MOST effectively reduce alert fatigue without eliminating detection of real brute-force attempts?

ADisable the failed-login rule entirely
BIncrease the alert threshold and add context such as geolocation and account lockout status
CForward every failed login as a critical-severity ticket regardless of volume
DIgnore the rule until leadership asks about it

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About the CompTIA CySA+ Salary

Format & Structure

Total Questions
85
Time Limit
165 minutes
Format
Multiple-choice and performance-based questions

Scoring & Cost

Passing Score
750 / 900
Registration Fee
~$404

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average CompTIA CySA+ salary in 2026?

Most CySA+ certified professionals land somewhere between $75,000 and $110,000 a year, with the national average hovering around $90,000 depending on role and location. That's a pretty wide band, honestly — a SOC analyst in a smaller market and a threat intelligence lead in a major metro can both hold the same cert and see very different paychecks. Experience, region, and the specific job title all move the needle more than the certification alone.

Does CySA+ salary vary a lot by state or region?

Yes, quite a bit. Analysts in high cost-of-living tech hubs like the Bay Area, Seattle, or the DC metro area (where a huge share of federal cybersecurity work is concentrated) often see salaries 15-25% above the national average. Meanwhile, similar roles in the Midwest or smaller cities tend to sit closer to the lower end of the range — though remote work has been narrowing that gap in recent years.

How much can a SOC analyst with CySA+ expect to earn?

Entry-level SOC (Security Operations Center) analysts holding CySA+ typically start around $65,000 to $80,000. Tier 2 and senior SOC analysts, who handle escalations and lead investigations, often push into the $90,000-$115,000 range. The cert alone won't get you there — it's the combination of CySA+ plus hands-on SIEM and incident response experience that really moves salary numbers.

What do threat intelligence analysts with CySA+ typically make?

Threat intelligence analyst roles tend to pay a bit more than general SOC positions, often in the $95,000-$130,000 range for mid-career professionals. This is one of the higher-paying paths CySA+ can point toward, since it demands both technical depth (parsing IOCs, tracking threat actor TTPs) and analytical writing skills. It's also a role that benefits a lot from continued coursework help and structured study — the material is dense.

Does getting CySA+ actually raise your salary compared to Security+ alone?

Generally, yes. CySA+ is positioned a step above Security+ on CompTIA's certification pathway, focused specifically on detection, analysis, and response rather than broad security fundamentals. Professionals who add CySA+ on top of Security+ commonly report salary bumps in the 8-15% range when moving into analyst-track roles, though the exact jump depends heavily on your employer and whether the role actually uses those skills day to day.

How does CySA+ salary compare to CISSP or CASP+?

CISSP and CASP+ generally sit above CySA+ in both seniority requirements and average pay — CISSP holders often average $120,000+ given its focus on security leadership and management, while CASP+ (CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner) targets hands-on senior technical roles in a similar salary band. CySA+ is more of a mid-level stepping stone; a lot of analysts earn it on the way to CISSP once they've logged enough experience.

What's the best-paying job you can get with a CySA+ certification?

Threat intelligence analyst, incident response lead, and vulnerability management specialist tend to top the list among CySA+-aligned roles, with senior positions in these tracks reaching $115,000-$140,000+ at larger organizations. That said, the certification opens doors more than it guarantees a number — it signals to hiring managers that you understand detection, analysis, and response well enough to be trusted with real incidents.

Is CySA+ worth it if I'm trying to increase my salary?

For most people already working toward a SOC or security analyst path, yes — it's a reasonably efficient way to validate skills employers actually screen for. But it's not a magic ticket. If you're studying for CySA+ alongside a demanding course load, don't hesitate to lean on structured coursework help or study skills coaching to keep both tracks moving; burning out on either one tends to cost you more than the exam fee ever could.

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