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The differences between information technology systems directors and chief information officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an information technology systems director, becoming a chief information officer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, an information technology systems director has an average salary of $147,331, which is higher than the $146,907 average annual salary of a chief information officer.
The top three skills for an information technology systems director include project management, architecture and network infrastructure. The most important skills for a chief information officer are CIO, project management, and network infrastructure.
| Information Technology Systems Director | Chief Information Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $147,331 | $146,907 |
| Hourly rate | $70.83 | $70.63 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 146,989 | 124,678 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 8 | - |
Generally, an information technology systems director is responsible for the management, organization, and execution of IT operations. They oversee technical projects and IT infrastructure, manage a team of employees in the IT department, direct the effective delivery of networks in alignment with the organization's goals, and tracking technology. Their objective is to ensure that security risks are minimized, business goals are met, and user satisfaction is achieved.
A chief information officer, also known as CIO, is responsible for the technological development within the company or organization. Primarily overseeing all information technology-related operations, a chief information officer takes the lead in setting the department's budget, developing strategies that will improve computer systems, and implementing policies to attain significant growth in profit and client base. Furthermore, a chief information officer is in charge of managing the workforce behind computer systems, ensuring their efficiency in accomplishing tasks and projects.
Information technology systems directors and chief information officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Systems Director | Chief Information Officer | |
| Average salary | $147,331 | $146,907 |
| Salary range | Between $103,000 And $209,000 | Between $98,000 And $219,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Mayer Brown | |
| Best paying industry | - | Agriculture |
There are a few differences between an information technology systems director and a chief information officer in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Systems Director | Chief Information Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between information technology systems directors' and chief information officers' demographics:
| Information Technology Systems Director | Chief Information Officer | |
| Average age | 47 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 76.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |