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The differences between chief information officers and chief technology officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a chief information officer and a chief technology officer. Additionally, a chief technology officer has an average salary of $172,989, which is higher than the $146,907 average annual salary of a chief information officer.
The top three skills for a chief information officer include CIO, project management and network infrastructure. The most important skills for a chief technology officer are infrastructure, cloud, and architecture.
| Chief Information Officer | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $146,907 | $172,989 |
| Hourly rate | $70.63 | $83.17 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 124,678 | 124,289 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 52 | 52 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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 job of chief technology officers (CTOs) is to oversee the technological needs and research and development of an organization. The CTOs, who are like chief information officers, make decisions for a company's technology infrastructure that aligns with the organization's business goals. They must ensure that they are updated on new and existing technologies for them to guide the company's future endeavors. Other responsibilities include fixing issues related to information technology, developing and managing the company's technological resources, and participating in management decisions on corporate governance.
Chief information officers and chief technology officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Information Officer | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Average salary | $146,907 | $172,989 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $219,000 | Between $105,000 And $284,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Mayer Brown | InPhonex |
| Best paying industry | Agriculture | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a chief information officer and a chief technology officer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Information Officer | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between chief information officers' and chief technology officers' demographics:
| Chief Information Officer | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Average age | 52 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4% |
| 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |