CISSP vs CISM: Which One Should I Get First?

I get asked this question at least three times a week. People call Training Camp, email me directly, or corner me at conferences with the same concern: should I get my CISSP or CISM first? They’ve heard both certifications are valuable, they know they want to advance their cybersecurity career, but they’re genuinely stuck on which one makes the most sense as their next step.

Here’s what I tell them. This isn’t about which certification is better. Both CISSP and CISM are excellent credentials that can significantly boost your career. The real question is which one aligns with where you are right now and where you want to go. Let me break down exactly how to make this decision for your specific situation.

Before we talk about which one to pursue first, you need to understand what each certification actually proves about your skills and experience. This is where a lot of confusion starts, people treat CISSP and CISM like they’re interchangeable when they’re really designed for different professional paths.

CISSP stands for Certified Information Systems Security Professional, and it’s offered by ISC2. This certification is broad and deep. It covers eight domains that span the entire information security field, from security architecture and engineering to software development security, from asset security to security operations.

When you earn your CISSP, you’re demonstrating that you have comprehensive technical knowledge across all major areas of cybersecurity. You understand how security controls work at a technical level. You can design secure systems, implement security solutions, and handle the day to day technical challenges that come up in security operations.

The CISSP exam tests your ability to think like a security professional who needs to solve technical problems. According to (ISC)², CISSP holders work in roles like security architect, security engineer, security analyst, and security consultant. These are hands on technical positions where you’re directly implementing and managing security controls.

CISM stands for Certified Information Security Manager, and it’s offered by ISACA. The focus here is completely different. CISM is about managing and governing information security programs from an enterprise perspective. You’re not in the weeds implementing firewalls or configuring security tools. You’re overseeing the entire security program, aligning it with business objectives, and managing the people and processes that make security work at scale.

The four domains of CISM cover information security governance, risk management, incident management, and security program development and management. This is executive level thinking. You’re dealing with board presentations, budget justifications, regulatory compliance, and strategic security planning.

ISACA designed CISM for people who manage security teams, report to C-level executives, and make strategic decisions about security investments and priorities. Common roles include Security Manager, CISO, Director of Information Security, and Security Program Manager.

This is often the deciding factor, and honestly, it should be. Both certifications have experience requirements, and understanding these requirements will immediately tell you which one makes sense for your current career stage.

CISSP requires five years of cumulative paid work experience in two or more of the eight CISSP domains. If you have a four year college degree or an approved credential from the ISC2 list, you can substitute one year, bringing it down to four years of required experience.

The key word here is cumulative. Your experience doesn’t need to be consecutive, and it can span multiple jobs. As long as you’ve worked in relevant security roles for the required time period, you qualify. The experience needs to be in security specific functions, but ISC2 interprets this relatively broadly. Security analyst, network security engineer, security administrator, and similar technical security roles all count.

You can take the CISSP exam before you meet the experience requirement and earn an Associate of ISC2 designation. You then have six years to gain the required experience and submit it for endorsement to become a full CISSP. This is a solid path if you’re early in your career but want to demonstrate your technical knowledge now.

CISM requires five years of work experience in information security management. Notice the emphasis on management. ISACA is specifically looking for experience where you’ve managed security programs, led security initiatives, or overseen security operations. You can substitute up to two years of this requirement with related experience or education, but you need a minimum of three years in actual management roles.

This is stricter than CISSP’s requirements. ISACA wants to see that you’ve actually done management level security work. If you’ve been a security analyst for five years but never supervised anyone or managed security programs, that experience doesn’t fully qualify for CISM. You’d need to show progression into management responsibilities.

Like CISSP, you can pass the CISM exam before meeting the experience requirement. You’ll earn a passing status and have five years to submit qualifying experience for certification. But here’s the reality: if you don’t have management experience yet, passing the CISM exam won’t help you much in the job market. Employers know the difference between passing the exam and actually holding the certification.

Your current experience tells you which certification you can get. Your career goals tell you which certification you should get. Let me walk you through different career scenarios and which certification makes the most strategic sense.

Maybe you love the technical side of security. You enjoy penetration testing, security architecture, incident response, or security engineering. You’re not particularly interested in managing people or dealing with governance and compliance. In that case, CISSP is absolutely the right choice.

CISSP opens doors to senior technical positions. Security architects at major tech companies hold CISSP. Lead penetration testers at security firms hold CISSP. Senior security engineers at government contractors hold CISSP. The certification validates that you have the deep technical knowledge needed for these specialized roles, including understanding how to implement frameworks like NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework at a technical level.

You can build an entire successful career staying on the technical track with CISSP as your anchor certification. Many people do exactly that, and they’re highly paid and deeply satisfied with their work. If this sounds like you, don’t feel pressured to pursue CISM just because people say management is the natural career progression. It’s not.

On the other hand, maybe you’ve been offered a security manager position or you’re being groomed for leadership. You’re starting to lead projects, manage small teams, or handle program level security initiatives. You’re attending more meetings with business stakeholders and fewer hands on technical sessions. This is the inflection point where CISM becomes more valuable than CISSP.

CISM gives you the framework and credibility you need for management roles. When you interview for a Security Manager or Director of Security position, hiring managers look for CISM. When your company is hiring a CISO, the job posting almost always lists CISM as preferred or required. The certification signals that you think strategically about security, not just tactically, and understand how to align security initiatives with business objectives using established governance frameworks like those outlined in ISACA’s governance resources.

Here’s something important though. Most successful CISOs and senior security leaders have both CISSP and CISM. They got CISSP earlier in their careers when they were doing technical work, and they added CISM when they moved into management. You’re not choosing one certification for life. You’re choosing which one to pursue first based on where you are now.

Consulting is a special case. If you work for a cybersecurity consulting firm or you’re an independent consultant, client expectations matter more than your personal preference. Many government contracts and enterprise consulting engagements specifically require CISSP. The Department of Defense’s 8570 directive lists CISSP as an approved certification for Information Assurance Technical roles, which means you need it to work on many federal contracts.

For consulting work focused on security assessments, penetration testing, or technical security implementations, CISSP is the standard. For consulting work focused on security program development, governance advisory, or risk management consulting, CISM carries more weight. Look at the job postings in your target consulting firms and see which certification they emphasize.

Let me give you the straight truth about exam difficulty, because this matters when you’re planning your certification timeline and deciding what you can realistically commit to right now.

The CISSP exam uses Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). You’ll answer between 100 and 150 questions, and you have up to three hours to complete the exam. The test adapts based on your answers, getting harder if you’re answering correctly and easier if you’re struggling. You need to perform at or above the passing standard, which ISC2 sets at 700 out of 1000 points using scaled scoring.

The challenge with CISSP is breadth. Eight domains covering everything from cryptography to physical security, from software development to disaster recovery. You can’t just focus on your areas of expertise and hope for the best. You need working knowledge across all domains, even topics you may have never dealt with in your daily work.

Most people spend three to six months studying for CISSP, dedicating around 10 to 15 hours per week. If you’re already working in security and have experience across multiple domains, you might get away with less study time. If security is new to you or you’ve specialized in one narrow area, plan for the longer timeline. For detailed preparation strategies, check out our guide on how long it takes to earn your CISSP.

The CISM exam consists of 150 multiple choice questions, and you have four hours to complete it. ISACA uses scaled scoring with a passing score of 450 out of 800 points. The questions are scenario based, testing your ability to make management decisions in realistic situations.

CISM’s challenge is different from CISSP’s. The exam is less about technical depth and more about judgment and experience. Questions often present situations where multiple answers could work, and you need to choose the best approach from a management perspective. If you’ve actually managed security programs, this feels natural. If you haven’t, you’re guessing about how management decisions get made.

Study time for CISM typically runs two to four months with similar weekly commitments. People with management experience often find CISM easier than CISSP because the content aligns with decisions they make daily. People without management experience find it harder because they’re learning an entirely new way of thinking about security problems.

Both certifications open doors, but they open different doors. Understanding which doors you want to walk through matters a lot when deciding which certification to pursue first.

CISSP is the most widely recognized security certification in the world. According to ISC2, there are over 450,000 CISSP holders globally. That’s massive market recognition, but it also means competition. You’re competing against a large pool of other certified professionals for positions.

The upside is that CISSP appears in more job postings than any other security certification. Search any major job board for cybersecurity positions, and you’ll see CISSP listed as preferred or required in a huge percentage of postings. Government positions especially favor CISSP because of DoD 8570 and other compliance requirements.

Average salaries for CISSP holders run between $110,000 and $160,000 depending on location, experience, and specific role. Senior positions like Security Architect or Principal Security Engineer can push well above $200,000 with CISSP as part of their credential portfolio.

CISM has fewer holders globally, around 50,000, which actually works in your favor. There’s less competition for CISM required positions, and employers recognize that CISM holders have genuine management experience, not just exam passing ability.

CISM appears most frequently in management level job postings. Security Manager, Information Security Manager, Director of Security, and CISO positions regularly list CISM as required or strongly preferred. The certification signals that you’re ready for strategic security leadership, not just technical execution.

Salary ranges for CISM holders typically start around $120,000 and go up significantly from there. CISO positions at mid sized to large companies routinely pay $200,000 to $400,000 or more, and CISM is almost always part of the qualification mix for these roles. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that information security managers earn median salaries well above $160,000, with top earners exceeding $250,000.

Let’s talk about the financial commitment, because this matters when you’re deciding which certification to pursue first. Both certifications require ongoing investment, not just the initial exam fee.

The CISSP exam costs $749 for most candidates. If you’re a U.S. military veteran or active military, ISC2 offers a $50 discount. You’ll also need to budget for study materials, which can range from a few hundred dollars for books and practice exams to a couple thousand dollars if you take an instructor led boot camp.

Once certified, you pay an Annual Maintenance Fee of $125 to ISC2, and you need to earn 120 Continuing Professional Education credits over a three year certification cycle. That averages out to 40 CPE credits per year. You can earn CPEs through training courses, conferences, webinars, publishing articles, or volunteering in security related activities.

The CISM exam fee is $575 for ISACA members and $760 for non members. If you’re not an ISACA member yet, it’s worth joining before registering for the exam because the membership fee is $135 and you’ll save that on the exam cost. Study materials range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on your approach.

CISM requires a $45 annual maintenance fee to ISACA (if you’re a member), and you need to earn 20 CPE hours annually, with a minimum of 120 CPE hours over three years. The CPE requirements are similar to CISSP, you can earn them through training, conferences, or professional activities related to information security management.

After working with hundreds of professionals making this exact decision, I’ve developed a simple framework that helps people cut through the confusion and make the right choice for their situation. Let me walk you through it.

You have less than five years of security experience. CISSP gives you the broad foundation you need early in your career, and you can add CISM later when you move into management.

You’re working in technical security roles and want to stay technical. Security architect, penetration tester, security engineer positions all value CISSP more than CISM.

You work for or want to work for federal government or defense contractors. DoD 8570 requirements make CISSP essential for many positions.

You’re looking for the broadest possible job market access. CISSP appears in more job postings than any other security certification.

You want a certification that’s globally recognized across all industries and organization types. CISSP is the gold standard that travels well.

You already hold CISSP and are moving into management roles. This is the natural progression, and CISM complements your existing technical certification perfectly.

You currently work in or are targeting security management positions. Security Manager, Director of Security, or CISO roles strongly favor CISM.

You have genuine management experience in security. CISM requires this experience for certification anyway, and the exam will make much more sense if you’ve actually done the work.

You spend your days on governance, risk management, and program development rather than hands on technical work. CISM validates what you actually do.

You want to differentiate yourself for executive level positions. CISM signals strategic thinking that CISOs and senior security leaders need.

You’re aiming for CISO or executive security leadership roles. Most successful CISOs hold both certifications because they demonstrate both technical depth and management capability.

You work in consulting and want maximum flexibility. Having both certifications lets you pursue technical consulting engagements, management advisory work, or anything in between.

You’re building a personal brand as a security expert. The combination of CISSP and CISM establishes you as someone with comprehensive security knowledge and experience.

CISSP and CISM aren’t competing certifications that force an either or choice for your entire career. They’re complementary credentials that serve different purposes at different career stages. The question isn’t which one is better. The question is which one makes sense for you right now based on your current experience, your immediate career goals, and the type of work you’re actually doing.

For most people early to mid career, CISSP is the right first choice. It gives you broad technical knowledge, opens up the most job opportunities, and provides a solid foundation you can build on throughout your career. CISM comes later when you’ve gained management experience and are ready to validate your strategic security leadership capabilities.

If you’re already in management or rapidly heading there, and you have the required experience, CISM might be your better first move. Just be honest about whether you truly have management experience that qualifies, not just technical security work.

Whatever you decide, commit to the path and get the certification done. The worst decision is spending months or years debating which certification to pursue instead of actually getting certified. Pick the one that fits your current situation, study hard, pass the exam, and start using that certification to advance your career. You can always add the other certification later when it makes sense. For more guidance on building your certification roadmap, explore our detailed comparison of CISM vs CISSP certifications and learn about CISSP requirements and preparation strategies.