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The differences between information technology systems directors and 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 systems director and an information technology manager. Additionally, an information technology systems director has an average salary of $147,331, which is higher than the $119,589 average annual salary of an information technology manager.
The top three skills for an information technology systems director include project management, architecture and network infrastructure. The most important skills for an information technology manager are customer service, project management, and database.
| Information Technology Systems Director | Information Technology Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $147,331 | $119,589 |
| Hourly rate | $70.83 | $57.49 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 146,989 | 108,179 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 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.
An information technology manager is responsible for supervising tasks for the company's network and information systems operations. Information technology managers require excellent knowledge of the information systems industry, a strong command of programming languages, and software and hardware application processes. An information technology manager reviews the performance of the IT department staff, ensuring that networks and systems maintain the highest quality and efficiency, and adjusting the specific system updates as needed. Information technology managers monitor the security of the system's database and identify business opportunities to utilize all business systems to improve the company's services.
Information technology systems directors and information technology managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Systems Director | Information Technology Manager | |
| Average salary | $147,331 | $119,589 |
| Salary range | Between $103,000 And $209,000 | Between $84,000 And $169,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an information technology systems director and an information technology manager in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Systems Director | Information Technology Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between information technology systems directors' and information technology managers' demographics:
| Information Technology Systems Director | Information Technology Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% | Male, 84.5% Female, 15.5% |
| 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, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |