How To Become A Management Information Systems Director: What It Is and Career Path

What is a management information systems director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Matthew Liotine Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a management information systems director. For example, did you know that they make an average of $61.89 an hour? That's $128,739 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 16% and produce 82,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a management information systems director?

Matthew Liotine Ph.D.

Clinical Professor and Director of Master of Science in Supply Chain and Operations Management, University of Illinois at Chicago

Most employers tell me that soft skills are equally, if not more important, than technical skills or domain knowledge. This translates into external/internal customer-facing skills, such as communication, team collaboration, writing, presentation, problem-solving, and being resourceful. (Many graduates overlook writing as a vital skill, but they fail to realize that in the course of their jobs, they will likely be required to write lots of memos and tons of emails.) The need to perfect these skills within the confines of a virtual world has become even more challenging and amplified with COVID. I teach in the information systems discipline, and when you view student resumes, many people look the same on paper. The soft skills will make a candidate stand out head and shoulders above the rest. That's why the candidate should pay attention to the screening interviews that they will undergo during the hiring process since employers will use these interviews to vet these skills.

ScoreManagement Information Systems DirectorUS Average

Salary

8.4

Avg. Salary $128,739

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%

Asian 14.24%

Black or African American 6.56%

Hispanic or Latino 9.85%

Unknown 5.19%

White 63.95%

Gender

female 35.24%

male 64.76%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a management information systems director

Explore management information systems director education requirements

Most common management information systems director degrees

Bachelor's

65.6 %

Associate

13.8 %

Master's

12.8 %

Start to develop specific management information systems director skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	12.81%
Financial Reports	6.31%
Web Application	5.88%
LAN	5.36%
SQL Server	5.31%

Complete relevant management information systems director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New management information systems directors 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 a management information systems director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real management information systems director resumes.

Research management information systems director duties and responsibilities

Lead project team of 10 team members to create and implement the ERP system.
Manage and control employee's time cards for vacation, sick days, and payroll on a monthly basis.
Manage, support, and troubleshoot network printers, scanners, thin clients, applications, and relate technology.
Lead successful project to implement EDI with Japanese manufacturing operations supporting materials requirements planning, and production schedules.

Get management information systems director experience

Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a management information systems director. The most common roles before becoming a management information systems director include software developer, manager team lead and project manager.

Apply for management information systems director jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a management information systems director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

Average management information systems director salary

The average management information systems director salary in the United States is $128,739 per year or $62 per hour. Management information systems director salaries range between $93,000 and $176,000 per year.

Average management information systems director salary

$128,739 Yearly

$61.89 hourly

How do management information systems directors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Management information systems director reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023

Pros

Staying abreast of technology and helping an organization define Technology strategy.

Cons

Work Life Balance can be difficult based on size of team and infrastructure.

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

The opportunity to render services to client, and managing technology by giving key information to customers.

Cons

Not meeting up to expectation of a client.

What is a management information systems director and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a management information systems director?

Management information systems director career paths

Key steps to become a management information systems director

Explore management information systems director education requirements

Most common management information systems director degrees

Start to develop specific management information systems director skills

Complete relevant management information systems director training and internships

Research management information systems director duties and responsibilities

Get management information systems director experience

Apply for management information systems director jobs

How did you land your first management information systems director job

Average management information systems director salary

How do management information systems directors rate their job?

Management information systems director reviews