Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between information technology directors and senior information technology 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 a senior information technology manager. Additionally, an information technology director has an average salary of $138,906, which is higher than the $133,138 average annual salary of a senior information technology manager.
The top three skills for an information technology director include customer service, project management and cloud. The most important skills for a senior information technology manager are project management, cloud, and architecture.
| Information Technology Director | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $138,906 | $133,138 |
| Hourly rate | $66.78 | $64.01 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 87,765 | 187,930 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
A senior information technology manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and performance of the company's technology and network systems. Senior information technology managers oversee technology infrastructures and operations, ensuring the processes adhere to the company policies and regulations. They analyze the schematics and specifications of computer systems, maintaining the safety and security across all networks to prevent unauthorized access. A senior information technology manager must have extensive knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command of programming languages.
Information technology directors and senior information technology managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Director | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Average salary | $138,906 | $133,138 |
| Salary range | Between $97,000 And $197,000 | Between $98,000 And $179,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Tipping Point | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between an information technology director and a senior information technology manager in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Director | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between information technology directors' and senior information technology managers' demographics:
| Information Technology Director | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% |
| 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, 6.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 14.6% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |