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The differences between information technology project leads and senior information technology managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an information technology project lead, becoming a senior information technology manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a senior information technology manager has an average salary of $133,138, which is higher than the $102,491 average annual salary of an information technology project lead.
The top three skills for an information technology project lead include project management, software development and status reports. The most important skills for a senior information technology manager are project management, cloud, and architecture.
| Information Technology Project Lead | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $102,491 | $133,138 |
| Hourly rate | $49.27 | $64.01 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 181,020 | 187,930 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
Information technology (IT) project leads are professionals who manage a team of IT professionals that work on the IT projects of an organization. These project leads are required to handle all issues regarding the project and financial management as well as review business and product requirements with the technical development team to address production issues. They must collaborate with the technical and application team leaders so that they can ensure the appropriate development of infrastructure architecture. IT project leads must also participate in negotiations with the software suppliers and IT consulting firms.
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 project leads and senior information technology managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Project Lead | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Average salary | $102,491 | $133,138 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $139,000 | Between $98,000 And $179,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Citi | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between an information technology project lead and a senior information technology manager in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Project Lead | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between information technology project leads' and senior information technology managers' demographics:
| Information Technology Project Lead | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |