Data center manager vs information technology director

The differences between data center managers and information technology directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a data center manager and an information technology director. Additionally, an information technology director has an average salary of $138,906, which is higher than the $132,102 average annual salary of a data center manager.

The top three skills for a data center manager include project management, data centers and cloud. The most important skills for an information technology director are customer service, project management, and cloud.

Data center manager vs information technology director overview

	Data Center Manager	Information Technology Director
Yearly salary	$132,102	$138,906
Hourly rate	$63.51	$66.78
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	135,454	87,765
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	8	8

What does a data center manager do?

A data center manager is responsible for supervising the data management systems and ensuring the stability of the database to support the business operations and employee relations. Datacenter managers maintain the safety and security of the systems to prevent unauthorized access to information. They analyze the features and structures of network systems to identify technical solutions and perform troubleshooting should there be any inconsistencies. A data center manager leads the data team to secure storage and upgrade server customization for clients' needs.

What does an information technology director do?

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.

Data center manager vs information technology director salary

Data center managers and information technology directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Center Manager	Information Technology Director
Average salary	$132,102	$138,906
Salary range	Between $89,000 And $194,000	Between $97,000 And $197,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	Apple	The Tipping Point
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between data center manager and information technology director education

There are a few differences between a data center manager and an information technology director in terms of educational background:

	Data Center Manager	Information Technology Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Carnegie Mellon University

Data center manager vs information technology director demographics

Here are the differences between data center managers' and information technology directors' demographics:

	Data Center Manager	Information Technology Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0%	Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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	11%	11%

Differences between data center manager and information technology director duties and responsibilities

Data center manager example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor various Microsoft and Linux servers.
Utilize Visio to properly configure equipment in racks and to manage proper inventory control.
Manage team that install all program changes and upgrades while nightly batch processing run.
Manage the design and implementation of virtualization, network, storage and server infrastructure landscapes.
Lead team's SOX audits in the management of policies and procedures for governance and compliance.
Manage daily package builds, data refresh request as well as CNC administration including user provisioning and security workbench.

Information technology director example responsibilities.

Lead the implementation of the ServiceNow ITSM solution.
Work with customers and internal management to create and manage acceptable SLA standards and measurements.
Manage the migration of email system for 400 plus users from Novell GroupWise to Google Gmail.
Manage the QA department and oversee the support of all storage for the company and its outsource customers.
Perform resource planning for a portfolio of projects via prioritizing the demand queue and successfully managing business relationships.
Lead the prototyping of a Microsoft SharePoint implementation that customize the look & feel to support the organizational requirements.

Data center manager vs information technology director skills

Common data center manager skills

Project Management, 11%
Data Centers, 7%
Cloud, 7%
Client Facing, 5%
HVAC, 4%
Customer Service, 4%

Common information technology director skills

Customer Service, 10%
Project Management, 7%
Cloud, 6%
Network Infrastructure, 6%
Disaster Recovery, 3%
Windows Server, 3%

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Data Center Manager
Data Center Manager vs Information Technology Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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