The honest answer is A+ first — but the reasoning matters more than the answer, because plenty of people get Security+ first and are fine. The question is really about what you’re trying to do in the next six months, not which exam is theoretically better.

What A+ actually gives you

CompTIA A+ is the widest door. It qualifies you for more job types in Texas — help desk, IT support specialist, desktop technician, field technician — than Security+ does on its own. If your immediate goal is to get employed in IT, A+ gets you there faster because the jobs it opens are more numerous and less competitive at the entry level.

The content also builds the foundation that makes Security+ easier. When Security+ talks about network segmentation, firewall rules, VPN configurations, and authentication protocols, A+ candidates already have a working mental model. People who jump to Security+ cold tend to spend extra weeks backfilling concepts that A+ would have covered naturally.

What Security+ gives you that A+ doesn’t

Access to a specific, high-value category of Texas jobs: government contractors, DoD-adjacent roles, and cybersecurity positions that explicitly require the DoD 8570 baseline certification. In San Antonio especially, Security+ is the credential that separates eligible from ineligible on a significant number of postings.

Security+ also pays better at the entry level. IT support roles with A+ in Texas start around $38,000–$55,000. Cybersecurity-adjacent roles requiring Security+ start closer to $60,000–$80,000. The gap is meaningful if you’re willing to put in the extra three to four months of preparation.

Get A+ first if you need income within six months. Get both if you have time to do it right — because Security+ on top of A+ is a fundamentally stronger candidate profile than either cert alone.

The sequence that actually makes sense

A+, then Security+, at whatever pace your study schedule allows. Most people do A+ Core 1 and Core 2 across three to five months of part-time study, then Security+ in another two to three months. Six to eight months total gets you through both, and both are covered at zero cost through the Infotech Academy Pre-Apprenticeship Program for eligible Texas residents. You don’t have to choose between them — you just have to start.