IT Manager Career Guide

An IT manager has a very important job. They are responsible for overseesing the information technology (IT) department and/or different IT projects. They are in charge of a team of other IT works and must ensure that a business is focused on the effective use of technology. To become one, a bachelors degree in a related field is almost always a necessity.

If you think you may want to become an IT manager, browse the career profiles below. We have spoken with people who work as IT managers to compile comprehensive profiles of this career. The profiles give you unique insider information you need to make the most informed choice about which careers may best for you.

IT Manager Career Ratings

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Income

Career
Growth

Personal Growth

Contribution

Influence

Job Profiles

Real-Life IT Manager Job Profiles

Below is a list of links to anonymous job profiles of REAL PEOPLE who have filled out our survey and offered to share their insights with our users about their job in the IT Manager field.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
33844	Project Manager	Male	34	$130,000	austin, TX	01/01/2010
33804	Technical Group Leader	Female	45	$80,000	Tempe, NY	01/01/2010
33800	Project Manager	Female	24	$78,000	Sunnyvale, CA	01/01/2010
33744	Architecture Manager	Male	33	$105,000	austin, TX	01/01/2010
33655	Project Manager	Female	32	$86,000	Plymouth, MI	01/01/2010

Overview

What an IT manager actually does

An IT manager is responsible for overseesing an information technology (IT) department and/or different IT projects. They are in charge of supervising a team of other IT workers or managing a department within a business that is focused on effective use of technology. They must be able to manage multiple projects from start to finish to ensure an organizations information technology needs are met.

The responsibilities of an IT manager are both technical and people-focused, meaning they need many transferable skills! Their responsibilities may vary and depend upon the specific field they work in. For example, they can head up IT departments in companies ranging from healthcare to education to retail. Or, they may also work for companies dedicated to technology and computer. Regardless of where they work, their typical duties and responsibility:

Analyzing their organization’s computer needs and recommend possible upgrades for top executives to consider
Planing and directing the installation and maintenance of computer hardware and software
Ensuring the security of an organization’s network and electronic documents
Assessing the costs and benefits of new projects
Learning about new technology and constantly looking for ways to upgrade their organization’s computer systems
Determining short- and long-term personnel needs for their department
Planning and directing the work of other IT professionals
Negotiating with vendors to get the highest level of service for the organization’s technology

Why they are needed

IT managers provide companies with a multitude of benefits. They wear many hats and, in doing so, they ensure that a company runs smoothly and efficiently. Below, are some of the ways an IT manager can help a company and, therefore, why they are needed:

Improved company efficiency by ensuring that the workflow of the IT department is managed correctly
Motivating the IT department and ensuring they are motivated to work
Ensuring that all administrative tasks in the IT department are delegated and completed
Hiring the best IT professionals for the department, which ensures that the business is operating efficiently

Pros and cons of a career as an IT manager

Pros:

There is a high sense of job satisfaction, as IT managers ensure the company they work for is running efficiently and productively
It is a very important role, as businesses will struggle to run efficiently without IT managers
No two days are the same, which keeps the job fun and engaging
The hours are normally good (regular business hours)
You will have a lot of responsibility and control over your decisions

Cons:

Like lots of jobs, there are some tedious and mundane tasks
IT managers may face staffing challenges and conflicts
It can be a stressful job and IT managers sometimes have to stretch themselves thin and complete lots of tasks
When approaching deadlines, IT managers may have to work overtime and long hours
It can be very stressful

Employability

Job market

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of computer systems managers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2019 to 2029, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

This employment growth is expected because firms are expected to expand their operations to digital platforms, which means that they will need IT managers to be responsible for implementing this. The need to bolster cybersecurity and information systems used by businesses to prevent cyber threats will also create a demand for IT managers.

Finally, an increase in the popularity of cloud computing may result in firms outsourcing services from in-house IT departments to cloud-computing companies. This will shift IT services from IT departments in noncomputer industries, such as financial firms or schools, to firms engaged in computer systems design and related services and those in data processing, hosting and related services.

Career paths

Typically, IT managers have a bachelor’s degree in computer or information science or a related field. These degrees include courses in computer programming, software development and mathematics. Alternatively, they may complete a management information systems (MIS) programme or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, both of these courses offer classes in business, which will help a IT manager.

IT managers typically have training in technology and computers, and they may also have human resources education or experience. Some IT managers begin as computer programmers or computer technicians and are able to work their way up to management positions.

Example Job Titles for IT Manager

Below is a list of common job titles in the IT Manager field. Click the links below for more information about these job titles, or view the next section for actual real-life job profiles.

Benefits & Conditions

Income and benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for IT managers in the United States was $151,150. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $90,430 per annum and the highest 10 percent earned more than $208,000.

The highest paying industry was the information industry ($166,770). This was followed by computer systems design and related services ($157,580), finance and insurance ($155,760), management of companies and enterprises ($152,480) and finally, manufacturing ($150,930).

Autonomy and Flexibility

IT managers are responsible for many things. They make decisions on staffing, project management, computer systems, and much more. Therefore, IT managers are likely to have high autonomy. IT managers are likely to have set working hours. As a result, they are unlikely that they will have flexibility over the hours they work. They are likely to, however, have flexibility over how they arrange their day and who they delegate tasks to.

Locations and commute

According to Zippia, the best states to be an IT manager, based on average annual salary and the number of jobs available, are:

California, where the average annual salary is $126,894
Virginia, where the average annual salary is $121,709
New York, where the average annual salary is $127,681
New Jersey, where the average annual salary is $120,571
New Hampshire, where the average annual salary is $114,121

The worst states to be an IT manager, according to Zippia, are Oklahoma, Idaho, South Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Work environment

22% of all IT managers in the United States were employed by the computer system design and related services industry. 11% were employed by the information industry, 11% by finance and insurance, 9% by management of companies and enterprises and a final 7% by manufacturing.

Most IT managers work in office environments. Typically, they will work normal business hours with occasional evenings, weekends, and overtime hours when projects are on a deadline. Although this career requires minimum physical labor, being an IT manager is mentally challenging.

Career Satisfaction

Common Matching Personality Types

Which personalities tend to succeed and thrive in IT Manager careers? Based on our research, there is a relatively strong positive correlation between the following personality types and IT Manager career satisfaction. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many exceptions, of course, but if you fit into one of the following personality types then we suggest you give strong consideration to a career in IT Manager.

16 Types (Myers-Briggs)

ENTJ

Big Five (OCEAN)

Conscientiousness

DISC

Enneagram

Type 3

Holland Codes (RIASEC)

Personality types

It is likely that IT managers will be the ENTJ personality types. ENTJ’s, or otherwise known as ‘the commander’ are devoted, ambitious and will work tirelessly to achieve their goals. Often, they rise to positions of power and are able to take charge and pave the way for others to follow. All of these skills means that the dominant, self-assured and decisive ENTJ could make a wonderful IT manager.

Accomplishment and mastery

As IT managers need a lot of experience to reach the position and, when they do reach the position they are often the most senior person, they are likely to feel a huge sense of accomplishment and mastery once they have secured a position as an IT manager. On top of this, IT managers will continue to develop their skills and knowledge throughout the entirety of their career. Therefore, the sense of accomplishment and mastery will remain high.

Meaning and contribution

IT managers are hugely important for any organization. They ensure that they are free from cyber threats and can run efficiently using the best technology out there. Without IT managers, the IT department of many organizations would not be running smoothly! As a result, their work has huge levels of meaning and contribution to businesses and the economy!

Life fit

Most IT managers tend to work full time. Depending on where they work/who they work for, they may work more than 40 hours per week. They may also be on call to deal with emergencies at any time.

Who will thrive in this career?

There are many qualities needed to be thrive as an IT manager, such as:

Being organized so that they can delegate and arrange the teams tasks
Confident leading a large team
Confident presenting ideas to executives
Being able to make quick and effective decisions
A good business mindset, as this means you will always be working with productivity and efficiency at the forefront of your mind
An enthusiasm to learn

Who will struggle in this career?

Everyone can succeed as an IT manager. However, you may be more inclined to struggle if:

You’re not confident leading a team
You prefer to work alone
You want a career where you can become an expert, not one where continuous learning is required
You want a more active and physically demanding job
You don’t pay good attention to detail

Requirements

Skills

Skills and talents

As well as adequate experience in the field (any maybe in the HR sector), IT managers will need skills and talents such as:

Communication skills, as they will need to be able to clearly, concisely and effectively communicate with top executives and the IT department
Business skills, as IT managers must be able to develop and implement strategic plan to reach the goals of their organization
Leadership skills, as IT managers are responsible for leading a team or department
Analytical skills, as IT managers need to analyze problems and consider and select the best ways to solve them
Decision making skills, as IT managers must make important decisions about how to allocate resources in order to reach their organizations goals

Education

IT managers will typically need to have a bachelor’s degree in computer or information science or a related field. They may also complete a management information systems (MIS) programme or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

Certifications

There are no specific certification requirements to become an IT manager in the United States. However, as with all computer and IT careers, special certifications are always a plus and are sometimes a requirement for employers.

How to Become

Summary

The IT manager is responsible for overseesing an information technology (IT) department and/or different IT projects.

They play the important role of being in charge of a team of other IT workers or managing a department within a business that is focused on effective use of technology. They must be able to manage multiple projects from start to finish to ensure an organizations information technology needs are met. The responsibilities of an IT manager are both technical and people-focused, meaning they need many transferable skills!

Immediate action

To kick start a career as an IT manager, there are plenty of online courses that you can complete to enhance your resume and show employers your passion and determination to work in the industry.

Education and learning

To become an IT manager, a bachelors degree in a computer or information science field is common. As well as this, experience in other roles (such as HR or cybersecurity) is desirable.

Skill development

Whilst working in any IT role, there will always be lots of opportunity for skill development and career progression. Many IT professionals continue to take courses throughout their entire career to advance their skills, their knowledge and to keep up to date with the ever growing and changing industry.

FAQs

Ask a Question

Have a question about IT Manager careers? If so, our mentors would love to help! Just click on a mentor’s profile below and then fill out the “Ask a Question” form on that page. Your question will then be emailed to the mentor, who can then email you a reply.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
33844	Project Manager	Male	34	$130,000	austin, TX	01/01/2010
33804	Technical Group Leader	Female	45	$80,000	Tempe, NY	01/01/2010
33800	Project Manager	Female	24	$78,000	Sunnyvale, CA	01/01/2010
33744	Architecture Manager	Male	33	$105,000	austin, TX	01/01/2010
33655	Project Manager	Female	32	$86,000	Plymouth, MI	01/01/2010

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