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The differences between chief technology officers and information technology directors 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 technology officer, becoming an information technology director takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a chief technology officer has an average salary of $172,989, which is higher than the $138,906 average annual salary of an information technology director.
The top three skills for a chief technology officer include infrastructure, cloud and architecture. The most important skills for an information technology director are customer service, project management, and cloud.
| Chief Technology Officer | Information Technology Director | |
| Yearly salary | $172,989 | $138,906 |
| Hourly rate | $83.17 | $66.78 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 124,289 | 87,765 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 52 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | 8 |
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.
An information technology (IT) Director is an individual responsible for the management, strategy, and execution of an organization's IT infrastructure. He/She supervises a team of workers while working with the organization's management and external vendors and advisors. Aside from managing workers, an IT director should possess problem-solving skills and an aptitude for organizational thinking. An IT director must also identify new market opportunities and should lead an effort to improve the organization's IT process.
Chief technology officers and information technology directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Technology Officer | Information Technology Director | |
| Average salary | $172,989 | $138,906 |
| Salary range | Between $105,000 And $284,000 | Between $97,000 And $197,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | InPhonex | The Tipping Point |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a chief technology officer and an information technology director in terms of educational background:
| Chief Technology Officer | Information Technology Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between chief technology officers' and information technology directors' demographics:
| Chief Technology Officer | Information Technology Director | |
| Average age | 52 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |