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The differences between principal technologists and senior 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 a principal technologist and a senior information technology manager. Additionally, a senior information technology manager has an average salary of $133,138, which is higher than the $124,965 average annual salary of a principal technologist.
The top three skills for a principal technologist include java, cloud and infrastructure. The most important skills for a senior information technology manager are project management, cloud, and architecture.
| Principal Technologist | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $124,965 | $133,138 |
| Hourly rate | $60.08 | $64.01 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 90,060 | 187,930 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A principal technologist is responsible for developing and delivering innovative solutions and providing contributions technically to various projects. Your duties will include providing assistance in improving the chemical supply chain that will benefit key product units (KPU), managing and creating user accounts, directory access, and server permissions, and managing the in-house services related to the internet. In addition, you will train and educate customers on how to use certain software and hardware as requested and performing development and architecture for database, software, and infrastructure.
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.
Principal technologists and senior information technology managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Technologist | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Average salary | $124,965 | $133,138 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $163,000 | Between $98,000 And $179,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Professional |
There are a few differences between a principal technologist and a senior information technology manager in terms of educational background:
| Principal Technologist | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between principal technologists' and senior information technology managers' demographics:
| Principal Technologist | Senior Information Technology Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 12.8% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |