Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between technical managers and chief technology officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technical manager, becoming a chief technology officer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a chief technology officer has an average salary of $172,989, which is higher than the $116,619 average annual salary of a technical manager.
The top three skills for a technical manager include project management, infrastructure and architecture. The most important skills for a chief technology officer are infrastructure, cloud, and architecture.
| Technical Manager | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,619 | $172,989 |
| Hourly rate | $56.07 | $83.17 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 116,732 | 124,289 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 40 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.
The job of chief technology officers (CTOs) is to oversee the technological needs and research and development of an organization. The CTOs, who are like chief information officers, make decisions for a company's technology infrastructure that aligns with the organization's business goals. They must ensure that they are updated on new and existing technologies for them to guide the company's future endeavors. Other responsibilities include fixing issues related to information technology, developing and managing the company's technological resources, and participating in management decisions on corporate governance.
Technical managers and chief technology officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Manager | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Average salary | $116,619 | $172,989 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $161,000 | Between $105,000 And $284,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | A.T. Kearney | InPhonex |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a technical manager and a chief technology officer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Manager | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical managers' and chief technology officers' demographics:
| Technical Manager | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 12% |