Cybersecurity Certifications Guide 2026
All offensive and defensive cybersecurity certifications: updated prices, difficulty, prerequisites, career paths and how to choose the best one for your career. Updated August 2026.
This guide is based on the direct experience of our team, which holds 11 certifications including OSCP, CRTO, CRTL, OSWE, OSWP, eWPTXv2, BSCP, CARTP, CRTE, Azure Admin and DevOps Engineer Expert.
| Certification | Organization | Category | Price | Difficulty | Est. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSCP | OffSec | Pentesting | €1,499 | High | €55,000-85,000 |
| CRTO | Zero-Point Security | Red Team | €400 | High | €65,000-100,000 |
| CRTL | Zero-Point Security | Red Team | €450 | Very high | €75,000-120,000 |
| OSWE | OffSec | Web / Exploit Dev | €1,499 | Very high | €65,000-95,000 |
| CISSP | ISC2 | Management / Defensive | €679 | Medium | €70,000-110,000 |
| PNPT | TCM Security | Pentesting | €269 | Medium-High | €45,000-70,000 |
| BSCP | PortSwigger | Web | €89 | Medium | €50,000-75,000 |
| eWPTXv2 | INE Security | Web | €549 | High | €50,000-75,000 |
| OSED | OffSec | Exploit Dev | €1,499 | Very high | €80,000-120,000 |
| CompTIA Security+ | CompTIA | Fundamentals | €359 | Low | €35,000-50,000 |
| CEH | EC-Council | Pentesting | €1,099 | Medium | €45,000-70,000 |
| GPEN | GIAC / SANS | Pentesting | €7,799 (course+exam) | High | €65,000-95,000 |
| OSWP | OffSec | WiFi | €1,499 | Medium | €45,000-65,000 |
| CARTP | Altered Security | Cloud / Azure | €369 | High | €60,000-90,000 |
OSCP — OffSec
Prerequisites
Solid knowledge of networking, Linux, Windows and basic scripting. PWK is recommended but not mandatory.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€55,000-85,000
CRTO — Zero-Point Security
Prerequisites
Active Directory, PowerShell and Cobalt Strike experience. OSCP helps but is not mandatory.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€65,000-100,000
CRTL — Zero-Point Security
Prerequisites
CRTO completed. Real Red Team exercise experience. Advanced evasion knowledge.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€75,000-120,000
OSWE — OffSec
Prerequisites
Web development, code reading and manual exploitation experience. OSCP recommended.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€65,000-95,000
CISSP — ISC2
Prerequisites
5 years of experience in at least 2 CISSP domains (or 4 years with a university degree). Exam in English.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€70,000-110,000
PNPT — TCM Security
Prerequisites
Networking, Active Directory and pentesting methodology knowledge. Associated course: Practical Ethical Hacking.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€45,000-70,000
BSCP — PortSwigger
Prerequisites
Burp Suite mastery and web pentesting experience. The Burp Suite Certified Practitioner requires passing two practical exams.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€50,000-75,000
eWPTXv2 — INE Security
Prerequisites
Advanced web pentesting experience. Previous eWPT recommended. Manual exploitation knowledge.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€50,000-75,000
OSED — OffSec
Prerequisites
Windows exploit development and x86 reversing experience. OSWE recommended. C and assembly programming.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€80,000-120,000
CompTIA Security+ — CompTIA
Prerequisites
None formal. 2 years of IT experience recommended. First step into cybersecurity.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€35,000-50,000
CEH — EC-Council
Prerequisites
2 years of IT security experience. Networking and OS knowledge.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€45,000-70,000
GPEN — GIAC / SANS
Prerequisites
Associated SEC560 course recommended. Pentesting and attack methodology experience.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€65,000-95,000
OSWP — OffSec
Prerequisites
Wireless networking and WiFi security knowledge. Familiarity with aircrack-ng and wireless tools.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€45,000-65,000
CARTP — Altered Security
Prerequisites
Solid Azure and Active Directory knowledge. Cloud pentesting experience.
Salary range (Spain/Europe)
€60,000-90,000
Frequently asked questions about certifications
What is the OSCP?
How much does the OSCP certificate cost?
How much does the OSCP course cost?
Which is better, CEH or OSCP?
Not sure which certification to choose?
Our team holds 11 certifications. We advise you based on your current experience, career goals and budget. No obligation.