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The differences between information technology directors and information technology 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 an information technology director and an information technology systems manager. Additionally, an information technology director has an average salary of $138,906, which is higher than the $130,526 average annual salary of an information technology systems manager.
The top three skills for an information technology director include customer service, project management and cloud. The most important skills for an information technology systems manager are customer service, project management, and network infrastructure.
| Information Technology Director | Information Technology Systems Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $138,906 | $130,526 |
| Hourly rate | $66.78 | $62.75 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 87,765 | 156,656 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
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.
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.
Information technology directors and information technology systems managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Director | Information Technology Systems Manager | |
| Average salary | $138,906 | $130,526 |
| Salary range | Between $97,000 And $197,000 | Between $95,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Tipping Point | Southern California Edison |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between an information technology director and an information technology systems manager in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Director | Information Technology Systems Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between information technology directors' and information technology systems managers' demographics:
| Information Technology Director | Information Technology Systems Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |