What Does an IT Manager Do?
Whether staff welcome new technology or see every update as a nuisance, most departments still rely on their IT unit to keep email, files and classrooms working. IT managers often work with multiple deans, directors and project leads who have a variety of competing needs. The ability to weigh numerous requests against a fixed budget is essential to ensure that each office receives fair, secure service.
Also known as: Computing Manager, Principal Computing Manager, Assistant Computing Manager
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Application Development Director, Computing Services Director, Data Processing Manager, Information Systems Director (IS Director), Information Systems Manager (IS Manager), Information Systems Supervisor (IS Supervisor), Information Technology Director (IT Director), Information Technology Manager (IT Manager).
IT Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an IT manager include:
- Set priorities for the IT unit and agree service levels with deans, directors or department heads.
- Prepare the yearly IT budget, including staff, licenses, hardware refresh and support contracts.
- Hire, coach and review help desk staff, system administrators and developers.
- Approve security policies and make sure patches, backups and access reviews actually happen.
- Negotiate software licenses and service contracts with vendors, and track renewal dates.
- Plan disaster recovery and test that systems can be restored after an outage.
- Lead projects such as email migrations, network upgrades and new classroom technology.
- Report on uptime, ticket volumes and project progress to senior leadership.
- Review requests for new software and hardware for cost, security and support needs.
- Respond to major incidents and keep users informed until service is restored.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an IT manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Budgeting and IT cost planning
- Staff leadership and performance reviews
- Information security basics and risk assessment
- Vendor and contract management
- Project management, often backed by PMP training
- ITIL service management practices
- Broad grounding in networks, servers and cloud services
- Plain explanations of technical choices for non-technical leaders
Education and Training
To become an IT manager, in many organizations you will need a bachelor's degree and several years of hands-on IT work to qualify to lead a team. Experience of leading a help desk or project team could lead to a first management post. With experience, you could progress from IT manager to IT director or chief information officer.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $138,060 - $220,730 per year, with a median of $175,140.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Computer and Information Systems Managers.
BLS projects employment of computer and information systems managers to grow about 16 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 53,500 openings a year. Demand will grow for several reasons, including more cloud services to manage; security threats, such as ransomware and phishing; and wider use of data, as organizations move more records online. IT managers are a highly experienced group.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Computer and information systems managers.
IT Manager Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $107,550 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $138,060 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $175,140 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $220,730 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $297,510 |
Highest-Paying States for IT Managers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are California ($218,290), Massachusetts ($214,960), New York ($214,300), Washington ($209,370), New Jersey ($203,460). Pay is lowest in Arkansas ($127,220), Mississippi ($124,280), Wyoming ($120,850).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $138,670 |
| Alaska | $133,490 |
| Arizona | $166,430 |
| Arkansas | $127,220 |
| California | $218,290 |
| Colorado | $199,420 |
| Connecticut | $171,750 |
| Delaware | $168,500 |
| District of Columbia | $195,190 |
| Florida | $168,470 |
| Georgia | $173,940 |
| Hawaii | $141,640 |
| Idaho | $162,240 |
| Illinois | $171,730 |
| Indiana | $142,040 |
| Iowa | $143,780 |
| Kansas | $164,830 |
| Kentucky | $140,360 |
| Louisiana | $127,500 |
| Maine | $160,260 |
| Maryland | $171,490 |
| Massachusetts | $214,960 |
| Michigan | $163,760 |
| Minnesota | $176,380 |
| Mississippi | $124,280 |
| Missouri | $159,460 |
| Montana | $132,860 |
| Nebraska | $135,780 |
| Nevada | $165,000 |
| New Hampshire | $176,540 |
| New Jersey | $203,460 |
| New Mexico | $137,730 |
| New York | $214,300 |
| North Carolina | $172,860 |
| North Dakota | $149,130 |
| Ohio | $163,640 |
| Oklahoma | $137,280 |
| Oregon | $175,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $163,910 |
| Rhode Island | $167,270 |
| South Carolina | $160,860 |
| South Dakota | $162,240 |
| Tennessee | $158,700 |
| Texas | $171,530 |
| Utah | $163,610 |
| Vermont | $138,460 |
| Virginia | $201,490 |
| Washington | $209,370 |
| West Virginia | $139,820 |
| Wisconsin | $160,140 |
| Wyoming | $120,850 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as computer and information systems managers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% use email every day
- 99% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 97% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 72% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 66% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 65% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 54% have a lot of freedom to make decisions
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 48% |
| Some college | 26% |
| Master's degree | 14% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 6% |
Tools and Software IT Managers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy organized work with data, records and clear procedures as well as leading, persuading and making business decisions.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making.
Knowledge areas used most: Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Engineering and Technology, English Language.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 11-3021.00 (Computer and Information Systems Managers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.