Data operations director vs systems manager

The differences between data operations directors and systems managers 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 operations director and a systems manager. Additionally, a data operations director has an average salary of $150,529, which is higher than the $107,156 average annual salary of a systems manager.

The top three skills for a data operations director include tableau, visualization and project management. The most important skills for a systems manager are customer service, project management, and patients.

Data operations director vs systems manager overview

	Data Operations Director	Systems Manager
Yearly salary	$150,529	$107,156
Hourly rate	$72.37	$51.52
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	133,372	145,551
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	8	8

What does a data operations director do?

A data operations director is responsible for managing the company's database and ensure the safety and security of all the data to prevent unauthorized access and information risk. Data operations directors coordinate with data engineers to design systems that would support business functions and operations. They also implement data handling procedures to organize data accurately and properly dispose of outdated ones. A data operations director reports all system failures and leads network infrastructures to improve the performance of data systems.

What does a systems manager do?

A systems manager is responsible for monitoring the operations of the information technology department, evaluating staff performance, developing strategic procedures to maximize productivity, and identifying business opportunities that would generate more revenues and profitability for the company. Systems managers inspect company networks to ensure the efficiency of the technology systems, conducting regular diagnostic tests, and installing upgrades to boost optimization. A systems manager must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command in programming languages and system codes to maintain the security of the company's database.

Data operations director vs systems manager salary

Data operations directors and systems managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Operations Director	Systems Manager
Average salary	$150,529	$107,156
Salary range	Between $104,000 And $217,000	Between $75,000 And $152,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Rubicon Global	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between data operations director and systems manager education

There are a few differences between a data operations director and a systems manager in terms of educational background:

	Data Operations Director	Systems Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Carnegie Mellon University

Data operations director vs systems manager demographics

Here are the differences between data operations directors' and systems managers' demographics:

	Data Operations Director	Systems Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 68.3% Female, 31.7%	Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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	11%	11%

Differences between data operations director and systems manager duties and responsibilities

Data operations director example responsibilities.

Lead account through server refresh, server monitoring and path toward server virtualization.
Champion, foster and lead an initiative to migrate core systems from proprietary UNIX to Linux.
Introduce and lead the implementation of virtualization technologies throughout the organization.
Manage large multisite datacenter environment consisting of mainframe and open systems.
Lead team responsible for design of private/public cloud environment supporting widely distribute engineering resources.
Manage contract information for provisioning feasibility and establish reporting statistics to track completion of orders for the department.

Systems manager example responsibilities.

Manage development teams which programme Java software applications to scan bar-code shipping labels and automate receipt and inventory processes.
Manage AutoCAD upgrades and tools.
Manage all aspects of PC and Macintosh technical support.
Install and manage small office computer network system running AutoCAD.
Define and manage execution of testing require for resolving FDA findings.
Lead cross-organization team to align company structure to employee base in PeopleSoft.

Data operations director vs systems manager skills

Common data operations director skills

Tableau, 15%
Visualization, 13%
Project Management, 9%
SAS, 7%
Direct Reports, 6%
ROI, 6%

Common systems manager skills

Customer Service, 12%
Project Management, 10%
Patients, 6%
Management System, 4%
Data Entry, 4%
Client Facing, 4%

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Data Operations Director
Data Operations Director vs Systems Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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