Post job

What does an information technology officer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
9 min read
Quoted expert
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.

An information technology officer is responsible for the production and implementation of technical solutions. They revise and approve new IT alternatives to improve efficiency in the business. Evaluating data requirements and protection measures are key duties for an IT officer. They may also be required to complete comprehensive reports on safety needs, recommend future improvements, and engage in training sessions for end-users.

On this page

Information technology officer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real information technology officer resumes:

  • Manage the conversion from an aging COBOL billing system to a newer UNIX base application by infome.
  • Lead disaster recovery exercises, infrastructure hardware/software decommissioning initiatives and redeployment of legacy application retirements/migrations for Fannie Mae (client).
  • Create SOX reports to present to management and for external auditors.
  • Provide oversight activities to insure compliance with HIPAA and other prevailing regulations.
  • Research, identify, and oversee contractor s installation of VMware server.
  • Plan and execute OS, software upgrades and PTF applications in off hours to minimize down time.
  • Institute ITIL operations practices bringing a level of discipline to the systems operations factory and reducing system outages.
  • Serve systems in accordance with best practices of ITIL (incident, problem; change; release management etc . )
  • Plan, design, and deploy an enterprise virtual infrastructure consisting of VMware and Microsoft technologies within a data center environment.
  • Install and configure opensource linux library system.
  • Provide customer support to internal customers experiencing computer and LAN problems.
  • Provide security services and attributes to availability, authentication, confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation for LAN.
  • Recognize for spurring standardization of underutilize SharePoint site at NHQ, resulting in implementation as a primary knowledge management tool nationwide.
  • Lead disaster recovery exercises, infrastructure hardware/software decommissioning initiatives and redeployment of legacy application retirements/migrations for Fannie Mae (client).
  • Ensure security of these reports (FTPS, encryption).

Information technology officer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 6% of Information Technology Officers are proficient in Project Management, Customer Service, and Database. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Leadership skills, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Information Technology Officers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Project Management, 6%

    Provided project management expertise and consulting to several large security projects covering all Annuity Manufacturing SOX applications.

  • Customer Service, 6%

    Handled Ministry payroll and provided customer service.

  • Database, 5%

    Managed significant volume of accesses, database creation and modification involved in Information Technology for Headquarters and Field offices.

  • Desktop, 5%

    Assist with project development, documentation and implementation, Installation and configuration of various desktop, server based applications and hardware.

  • Troubleshoot, 4%

    Provided technical support/solutions and troubleshoot encountered including batch jobs failed transactions, data error etc.

  • SharePoint, 4%

    Recognized for spurring standardization of underutilized SharePoint site at NHQ, resulting in implementation as a primary knowledge management tool nationwide.

"project management," "customer service," and "database" are among the most common skills that information technology officers use at work. You can find even more information technology officer responsibilities below, including:

Business skills. The most essential soft skill for an information technology officer to carry out their responsibilities is business skills. This skill is important for the role because "it managers must develop and implement strategic plans to reach the goals of their organizations." Additionally, an information technology officer resume shows how their duties depend on business skills: "hired to integrate multiple business units under a single erp platform and unify the various technology departments. "

Leadership skills. Many information technology officer duties rely on leadership skills. "it managers must lead and motivate it teams or departments so that workers are efficient and effective.," so an information technology officer will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways information technology officer responsibilities rely on leadership skills: "promoted from co-director to cio, based on performance, leadership and senior staff recommendations. "

Organizational skills. This is an important skill for information technology officers to perform their duties. For an example of how information technology officer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "some it managers must coordinate the work of several different it departments to make the organization run efficiently." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an information technology officer: "planned and managed deployment of an enterprise information portal (sharepoint), improving organizational interconnectivity and data sharing. ".

Analytical skills. A big part of what information technology officers do relies on "analytical skills." You can see how essential it is to information technology officer responsibilities because "it managers must analyze problems and consider and select the best ways to solve them." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical information technology officer tasks: "project leader for sun systems erp implementation performed system tuning configuration, maintenance, and performance analysis and user/security administration. "

Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in information technology officer job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what information technology officers do. Information technology officer responsibilities rely on this skill because "it managers must explain their work to top executives and give clear instructions to their subordinates." You can also see how information technology officer duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "evaluated and reported on the operating efficiency of computer systems and communications systems. "

See the full list of information technology officer skills

The three companies that hire the most information technology officers are:

Choose from 10+ customizable information technology officer resume templates

Build a professional information technology officer resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your information technology officer resume.
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume
Information Technology Officer Resume

Compare different information technology officers

Information technology officer vs. Information technology supervisor, information technology

An information technology supervisor of information technology is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's IT operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to spearhead projects, set goals and objectives, coordinate staff, manage budgets and timelines, perform installations and upgrades, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They must remain knowledgeable of the latest technologies, liaise with external parties, and produce progress reports. Furthermore, as a supervisor, it is essential to monitor the performance of the IT teams, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.

We looked at the average information technology officer salary and compared it with the wages of an information technology supervisor, information technology. Generally speaking, information technology supervisors, information technology are paid $3,256 higher than information technology officers per year.Even though information technology officers and information technology supervisors, information technology are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require project management, customer service, and database in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an information technology officer are more likely to require skills like "desktop," "security policies," "risk assessments," and "strong analytical." On the other hand, a job as an information technology supervisor, information technology requires skills like "azure," "performance reviews," "printers," and "employee development." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Information technology supervisors, information technology really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $116,415. Comparatively, information technology officers tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $104,509.The education levels that information technology supervisors, information technology earn slightly differ from information technology officers. In particular, information technology supervisors, information technology are 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an information technology officer. Additionally, they're 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Information technology officer vs. Information engineer

An information engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of computer systems and network infrastructure, performing configuration to boost the optimal performance of the technology systems. Information engineers assist end-users in resolving network issues, identifying the source of inconsistencies, and create resolution reports for reference to avoid reoccurrence. They also design new network systems according to business needs and client specifications, running multiple diagnostic tests to ensure effectiveness before the release of final deliverables. An information engineer should have excellent technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes.

A career as a information engineer brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of an information technology officer. In fact, information engineers salary is $3,023 lower than the salary of information technology officers per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Information technology officers and information engineers both require similar skills like "customer service," "troubleshoot," and "sharepoint" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, information technology officer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "project management," "database," "desktop," and "security policies." Meanwhile, an information engineer has duties that require skills in areas such as "java," "san," "azure," and "data analysis." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, information engineers earn a lower salary than information technology officers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, information engineers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $107,435. Whereas information technology officers have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $104,509.In general, information engineers achieve similar levels of education than information technology officers. They're 1.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for information technology officers in the next 3-5 years?

Babak Beheshti Ph.D.Babak Beheshti Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Dean, Professor, New York Institute of Technology

-The enormous growth of IoT and wearables. The number of connected devices is expected to be more than 26 billion in 2020. That includes things like household appliances, controllable lighting, and much more. This trend is likely to continue as it is expected to see the industry grow to 661 billion dollars by 2021.

-We will be witnessing a more widespread commercial deployment of 5G in 2020. With the implementation of the Standalone 5G devices based on the 3gpp release 16, we should be seeing the more robust mobile broadband deployment of 5G, wider availability of 5G smartphones, and a push towards an all 5G Network in select urban areas around the world.

-Significant growth in AI-based technologies, from face recognition and voice recognition to business intelligence and market predictions. As machines and deep learning algorithms get integrated into many applications, many industries will undergo substantial changes. AI systems will continue to interact with our phones; cars will interpret and analyze their surroundings and intelligently drive themselves. Online vendors will monitor our browsing habits, and Google decides what kind of search results to give us, based on who it thinks we are.

Information technology officer vs. Senior consultant, information technology

A senior consultant of information technology is primarily responsible for developing strategies and procedures to optimize a company's information technology systems and infrastructure. It is their duty to assess existing networks and systems to identify their strengths and weaknesses, develop solutions in problem areas, perform risk assessments, and provide advice on how to achieve the best information technology practices. Furthermore, as a senior consultant, it is essential to lead the efforts and serve as a role model for the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

An average senior consultant, information technology eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of information technology officers. The difference in salaries amounts to senior consultants, information technology earning a $2,112 higher average salary than information technology officers.Using the responsibilities included on information technology officers and senior consultants, information technology resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "project management," "sharepoint," and "network infrastructure.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, information technology officers are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "database," "desktop," and "troubleshoot." But a senior consultant, information technology is more likely to have skills like "architecture," "client facing," "healthcare," and "shared services."

Senior consultants, information technology earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $117,869. Information technology officers earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $104,509.senior consultants, information technology typically earn higher educational levels compared to information technology officers. Specifically, they're 8.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Information technology officer vs. Information technology technical services manager

An information technology/technical services manager is responsible for supervising the operations of the information technology team, assisting the technical staff in providing efficient performance by improving technology systems and network infrastructure to support business functions. This job requires extensive knowledge of the technology industry, as well as an excellent command of programming and system processes to ensure smooth navigation and consistent transitions. An information technology/technical services manager also handles the development of new network systems according to business requirements and client specifications.

Information technology technical services managers typically earn higher pay than information technology officers. On average, information technology technical services managers earn a $5,995 higher salary per year.While their salaries may vary, information technology officers and information technology technical services managers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "project management," "customer service," and "sharepoint. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. An information technology officer uses "database," "desktop," "troubleshoot," and "computer system." Information technology technical services managers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "service management," "itsm," "process improvement," and "service delivery. "information technology technical services managers enjoy the best pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $124,604. For comparison, information technology officers earn the highest salary in the finance industry.The average resume of information technology technical services managers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to information technology officers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of information technology officer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs