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What is an information technology specialist lead and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Ranganathan Chandrasekaran
The average information technology specialist lead salary is $109,011. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an computer science major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become an information technology specialist lead. Information technology specialist leads with a IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 83,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an information technology specialist lead?

Ranganathan ChandrasekaranRanganathan Chandrasekaran LinkedIn profile

Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Illinois

As we roll into another month of the COVID-19 pandemic, graduating students are facing one of the worst moments of their lives. They face several uncertainties; due to financial challenges, uncertainty about completing their degrees on time, adjusting to online and hybrid modes of learning, and worst of all, facing the worst job market. As a result, I see the stress and anxiety levels among the graduating students to be significantly higher, at levels I have not experienced in my academic career.

Several businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, and they have rolled back their offers made to students for internships and jobs. Businesses have also resorted to downsizing and layoffs, and we are likely to see that continue, at least in the near term. However, two sectors that are showing promises of a quick turnaround are technology and healthcare.

It might take many months for the economy to get back on track, but the demand for information systems graduates is likely to grow, as a large number of businesses have turned to increased use of technology in this pandemic period. As more companies go digital, we need more professionals to manage the remote-work, technological infrastructure and meet the other demands of the business. Students pursuing education in information systems, computer science, and healthcare are going to be in greater demand.

On the positive side, the uncertainties induced by the pandemic have also helped students to prepare themselves better for a tougher job market. I found many students rise up and use the lockdown period to have a serious introspection and invest their time and effort in upgrading their knowledge and skills. The internship drought and rescinding of job/internship offers brought their dreams crashing down, but I found several students to quickly get over their disappointments, and engage in improving their skillsets utilizing the pandemic lockdown as an opportunity. I am aware of many students, especially in the information systems disciple, who spent time doing online courses, completing certification programs, and take up DIY projects on data analysis, developing analytical and forecasting models, and visualization of various aspects of the pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in massive amounts of data, released by several organizations worldwide, that have provided a stimulant for students to indulge in DIY-projects. I had several students approach me over summer to do some projects, and we have done some interesting projects using public datasets related to COVID-19.
ScoreInformation Technology Specialist LeadUS Average
Salary
7.8

Avg. Salary $109,011

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 13.18%

Black or African American 12.44%

Hispanic or Latino 14.55%

Unknown 5.26%

White 54.17%

Gender

female 20.00%

male 80.00%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Information technology specialist lead career paths

Key steps to become an information technology specialist lead

  1. Explore information technology specialist lead education requirements

    Most common information technology specialist lead degrees

    Bachelor's

    57.9 %

    Associate

    20.1 %

    Master's

    14.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific information technology specialist lead skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service8.40%
    Technical Support5.79%
    Java4.95%
    SQL Server4.61%
    NIST4.03%
  3. Complete relevant information technology specialist lead training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New information technology specialist leads learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an information technology specialist lead based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real information technology specialist lead resumes.
  4. Gain additional information technology specialist lead certifications

    Information technology specialist lead certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific information technology specialist lead certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for information technology specialist leads include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research information technology specialist lead duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and implement OS upgrades and security patches.
    • Manage the continuous development and maintenance of the department's communication and collaboration SharePoint sites.
    • Lead disaster recovery exercises, infrastructure hardware/software decommissioning initiatives and redeployment of legacy application retirements/migrations for Fannie Mae (client).
    • Used object orient JavaScript for client side validations and ajax relate tasks.
  6. Get information technology specialist lead experience

    Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become an information technology specialist lead. The most common roles before becoming an information technology specialist lead include information technology specialist, systems administrator team lead and technical support specialist.
  7. Prepare your information technology specialist lead resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your information technology specialist lead resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an information technology specialist lead resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable information technology specialist lead resume templates

    Build a professional information technology specialist lead resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your information technology specialist lead resume.
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
    Information Technology Specialist Lead Resume
  8. Apply for information technology specialist lead jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an information technology specialist lead job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first information technology specialist lead job

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Average information technology specialist lead salary

The average information technology specialist lead salary in the United States is $109,011 per year or $52 per hour. Information technology specialist lead salaries range between $82,000 and $144,000 per year.

Average information technology specialist lead salary
$109,011 Yearly
$52.41 hourly

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Information technology specialist lead reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Cons

Customer is unwilling to provide you with necessary information in order to assist them.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Cons

User is not available for investigation how hardware and software had problem.


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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.

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