Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between chief technology officers and information technology systems managers 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 systems manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a chief technology officer has an average salary of $172,989, which is higher than the $130,526 average annual salary of an information technology systems manager.
The top three skills for a chief technology officer include infrastructure, cloud and architecture. The most important skills for an information technology systems manager are customer service, project management, and network infrastructure.
| Chief Technology Officer | Information Technology Systems Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $172,989 | $130,526 |
| Hourly rate | $83.17 | $62.75 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 124,289 | 156,656 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 systems manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and optimal performance of the organization's technology systems. Information technology systems managers ensure the safety and security of all the network systems, developing standard operating procedures to avoid unauthorized access and suspicious activities. They also identify technical opportunities to improve network infrastructures and technology solutions. An information technology systems manager must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes to design configuration and maintain the stability of systems.
Chief technology officers and information technology systems managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Technology Officer | Information Technology Systems Manager | |
| Average salary | $172,989 | $130,526 |
| Salary range | Between $105,000 And $284,000 | Between $95,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | InPhonex | Southern California Edison |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a chief technology officer and an information technology systems manager in terms of educational background:
| Chief Technology Officer | Information Technology Systems Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between chief technology officers' and information technology systems managers' demographics:
| Chief Technology Officer | Information Technology Systems Manager | |
| Average age | 52 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4% | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |