Roadmap to Success: CompTIA Storage+

Roadmap to Success is a series of posts designed to help learners better understand certification pathways, career opportunities associated with those certifications, and next steps beyond certification.

As IT needs to deal with ever-larger quantities of data and information, storage has emerged as a critical aspect of the industry. The CompTIA Storage+ is an excellent place for learners to begin their certification journeys and IT careers with a specialization in storage and related issues. Generally, the CompTIA Storage+ certification qualifies learners for roles such as storage networking manager, storage networking systems integrator, or IS/IT manager.

CRITICAL UPDATE: The CompTIA Storage+ certification was formally retired on January 15, 2016. For more information on retired CompTIA certifications, please visit the CompTIA website.

CompTIA Certification Pathways

CompTIA certifications are considered to be "vendor neutral," meaning that the content addressed by CompTIA certifications is universally applicable to any product or brand. Generally, CompTIA certifications are broad in scope, providing a conceptual framework that can be broadly applied. CompTIA certifications are broken down into three basic categories: Beginner/Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced. However, no CompTIA certifications carry prerequisite exams, so learners can begin at any level. Though learners can start with any CompTIA certification, the hierarchy should be considered in training plans.

Beginner/Novice certifications:

• CompTIA A+

• CompTIA Cloud Essentials

• CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician

• CompTIA IT Fundamentals

Intermediate certifications:

• CompTIA CDIA+

• CompTIA Cloud+

• CompTIA CTT+

• CompTIA Linux+, powered by LPI

• CompTIA Mobility+

• CompTIA Network+

• CompTIA Project+

• CompTIA Security+

• CompTIA Server+

• CompTIA Social Media Security Professional (SMSP)

• CompTIA Storage+, powered by SNIA

Advanced certifications:

• CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP)

The Storage+ certification is unique in that it is "powered by SNIA" which indicates the partnership between CompTIA and the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA). So, learners earning a CompTIA Storage+ certification also earn the SNIA Certified Storage Professional (SCSP) certification! Learners earn two (2) certifications by successfully passing just one exam!

CompTIA Storage+ The CompTIA Storage+ certification, powered by SNIA, is designed to affirm learners' knowledge and skills to configure basic networks to include archive, backup, and restoration technologies. In addition, learners will have a functional understanding of the fundamentals of business continuity, application workload, system integration, and storage/system administration, and be able to perform basic troubleshooting on connectivity issues and reference documentation. The CompTIA Storage+ certification is made up of just one exam, which is addressed by the CBT Nuggets course, CompTIA Storage+ SG0-001.

Typically, learners pursuing this certification should have at least one year of experience working in IT administration, ideally with a focus on technical storage. The CompTIA Storage+ certification is an entry-level certification, but it is recommended that learners first develop a strong understanding of networking principles, and perhaps even earn the CompTIA Network+ certification before beginning training for the Storage+ (learn more about the Network+ certification from Roadmap to Success: CompTIA Network+ blog post). The Storage+ certification is an excellent entry-point for IT professionals looking to begin specialization in storage technologies.

Exam Details In order to take full advantage of the 2-for-1 certification opportunity, we recommend that learners register for and complete the CompTIA Storage+ certification exam, which can then be applied to receive SNIA certification.

Time allotted for exam: 1.5 hours (90 minutes) Number of questions: 100 Passing score: 720 (on a scale of 100-900) Question types: Multiple choice Exam registration: CompTIA MarketplaceExam cost: $269 (USD) Exam objectives: Exam objectives are available.

• CompTIA Storage+ exam objectives

The Next Step CompTIA certifications serve as excellent building blocks that allow learners to go on to pursue more advanced, vendor-specific certifications, or further CompTIA certifications. Following the CompTIA Storage+ certification, learners most typically pursue:

• EMC Information Storage and Management (EMCISA) (made up of just one exam: EMCISA)

• NetApp Certified Storage Associate (NCSA) (made up of just one exam: NCSA NS0-145)

• CompTIA Network+ (made up of just one exam: Network+ N10-006)

Recertification CompTIA certifications are valid for three years from the date of certification.

Special note: The Storage+ certification is nearing its retirement from the CompTIA library of certifications. Therefore, no recertification will be necessary for this certification, if it is earned prior to the date of retirement on January 15, 2016. Storage+ certifications earned between now and the date of the certification's retirement will be life-time certifications.

Career Considerations CompTIA provides excellent information regarding IT career paths related to their certifications, including a career roadmap that identifies certifications from CompTIA and other providers that equip learners for specific career opportunities.

Payscale.com/ provides information that can help learners determine appropriate pay scales for job opportunities associated with the CompTIA Storage+/SCSP certification. Depending on experience, an employee who holds a CompTIA Storage+/SCSP certification can earn anywhere between $85,000 and $119,000. It should be noted, however, that the Storage+/SCSP is an entry-level certificate, so it is likely that the average salary for most beginner storage professionals may be lower than is indicated by Payscale.com/. Common roles or titles for those that hold a CompTIA Security+ include storage management specialist, technical support specialist, senior technical support engineer, and storage area network (SAN) systems administrator.

Concluding Thoughts Earning the CompTIA Storage+ certification is the first step toward a highly specialized career path in storage. As the IT industry continues to evolve, IT professionals who are adept at working with storage technologies will become increasingly valuable.

Watch. Learn. Conquer the CompTIA Storage+!