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Director of network engineering vs technical manager

The differences between directors of network engineering and technical managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a director of network engineering, becoming a technical manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a director of network engineering has an average salary of $140,813, which is higher than the $116,619 average annual salary of a technical manager.

The top three skills for a director of network engineering include cisco asa, network engineering and network infrastructure. The most important skills for a technical manager are project management, infrastructure, and architecture.

Director of network engineering vs technical manager overview

Director Of Network EngineeringTechnical Manager
Yearly salary$140,813$116,619
Hourly rate$67.70$56.07
Growth rate16%8%
Number of jobs86,874116,732
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age4740
Years of experience82

What does a director of network engineering do?

The director of network engineering is someone who designs and installs network infrastructure within the company. Their prime objective is to create an efficient inter-company communication method vital for businesses that rely on speedy relay of information, such as telecommunication companies. The director of network engineering works alongside the company's tech team to install a viable network that will potentially increase productivity. Aside from this primary task, the network engineer will also monitor, inspect, and evaluate all existing networks in the company.

What does a technical manager do?

A technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.

Director of network engineering vs technical manager salary

Directors of network engineering and technical managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of Network EngineeringTechnical Manager
Average salary$140,813$116,619
Salary rangeBetween $99,000 And $199,000Between $84,000 And $161,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaA.T. Kearney
Best paying industryMediaManufacturing

Differences between director of network engineering and technical manager education

There are a few differences between a director of network engineering and a technical manager in terms of educational background:

Director Of Network EngineeringTechnical Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University

Director of network engineering vs technical manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors of network engineering' and technical managers' demographics:

Director Of Network EngineeringTechnical Manager
Average age4740
Gender ratioMale, 90.2% Female, 9.8%Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3%
Race ratioBlack 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%14%

Differences between director of network engineering and technical manager duties and responsibilities

Director of network engineering example responsibilities.

  • Create and manage RFP outsourcing global conferencing solution saving $250K annually.
  • Manage remote staff across London and Tokyo, ensuring fully-functional, up-to-date switches.
  • Design, manage, and troubleshot core campus routers, Internet connections, firewalls, and VPN servers.
  • Manage consolidation and transformation of processes to deliver infrastructure services through a streamline process that provide better integration with all platforms.
  • Spearhead development and launch of ITIL framework.
  • Deliver 24/7 full support of all the VPN's from remote location to corporate servers.
  • Show more

Technical manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead efforts to establish asset and desktop /server management best practices.
  • Provide project management and KPIs development to ensure service levels are achieve and improve upon.
  • Project manage WebEx's customer call flow (IVRU) structure to meet both business and customer needs.
  • Lead project to implement Salesforce.com.
  • Manage high level support resources and evaluate XML technology against business requirements.
  • Optimize chemical formulas, manage chemical supply chain, troubleshoot laboratory and plant implementation.
  • Show more

Director of network engineering vs technical manager skills

Common director of network engineering skills
  • Cisco Asa, 14%
  • Network Engineering, 10%
  • Network Infrastructure, 9%
  • Switches, 8%
  • OSPF, 7%
  • BGP, 7%
Common technical manager skills
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Infrastructure, 6%
  • Architecture, 6%
  • Java, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Emerging Technologies, 4%

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