Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between chief information officers and chiefs of operations can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a chief information officer, becoming a chief of operations takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief information officer has an average salary of $146,907, which is higher than the $124,927 average annual salary of a chief of operations.
The top three skills for a chief information officer include CIO, project management and network infrastructure. The most important skills for a chief of operations are oversight, emergency operations, and logistical support.
| Chief Information Officer | Chief Of Operations | |
| Yearly salary | $146,907 | $124,927 |
| Hourly rate | $70.63 | $60.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 124,678 | 93,283 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 52 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A chief information officer, also known as CIO, is responsible for the technological development within the company or organization. Primarily overseeing all information technology-related operations, a chief information officer takes the lead in setting the department's budget, developing strategies that will improve computer systems, and implementing policies to attain significant growth in profit and client base. Furthermore, a chief information officer is in charge of managing the workforce behind computer systems, ensuring their efficiency in accomplishing tasks and projects.
The chief of operations is responsible for monitoring the overall operational process of a company, maintaining efficient project management, and accurate project deliverables. They contribute to the implementation of corporate decisions, including the development of the company's policies and procedures. They also support the CEO in board meetings to report the business' performance and identify opportunities to increase brand awareness and boost profitability. The chief of operations handles financial transactions of the business, as well as budgeting and allocating resources for each department.
Chief information officers and chiefs of operations have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Information Officer | Chief Of Operations | |
| Average salary | $146,907 | $124,927 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $219,000 | Between $86,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Mayer Brown | University of Maryland, Baltimore |
| Best paying industry | Agriculture | Government |
There are a few differences between a chief information officer and a chief of operations in terms of educational background:
| Chief Information Officer | Chief Of Operations | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between chief information officers' and chiefs of operations' demographics:
| Chief Information Officer | Chief Of Operations | |
| Average age | 52 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 76.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |