State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
IT Manager Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Computer and Information Systems Managers is $175,140 a year ($84.20/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 15.2% through 2034, with about 55,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 11-3021ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $175,140
- Projected growth
- +15.2%
- Openings a year
- 55,600
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised 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).
How much do Computer and Information Systems Managers make?
10th percentile$107,550
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$138,060
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$175,140
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$220,730
Upper quartile
90th percentile$297,510
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $175,140 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $84.20/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $192,160 |
| People employed | 670,570 |
Versus all US occupations
At $175,140, Computer and Information Systems Managers earn 244% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $124,160 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 39% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $297,510 or more while the bottom 10% earn $107,550, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 97% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($218,290), but once local prices are taken into account Massachusetts leads at $203,258 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Computer and Information Systems Managers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $218,290 | $197,155 | 94,720 |
| Massachusetts | $214,960 | $203,258 | 24,910 |
| New York | $214,300 | $198,571 | 48,050 |
| Washington | $209,370 | $195,649 | 16,960 |
| New Jersey | $203,460 | $186,995 | 34,470 |
| Virginia | $201,490 | $199,290 | 17,550 |
| Colorado | $199,420 | $193,514 | 11,510 |
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | $177,605 | 5,690 |
| New Hampshire | $176,540 | $169,481 | 3,810 |
| Minnesota | $176,380 | $178,846 | 10,970 |
Is IT Manager a growing career?
Computer and Information Systems Managers15.2%
All US occupations3.1%
+15.2% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Computer and Information Systems Managers to change 15.2% over 2024–2034, roughly 4.9× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 101,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 55,600 openings are projected each year, 8.3% of the 667,100 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for computer and information systems managers is projected to grow as organizations increasingly rely on information technology (IT) services and require these workers to plan and oversee computer hardware and software needs.
Employment growth is expected to result from the increased complexity and necessity of technology throughout the economy. As businesses across industries ramp up their IT infrastructure, such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI), computer and information systems managers will likely be critical to ensuring solid IT implementation.
How to become an IT Manager
Computer and information systems managers typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology, plus related work experience, to enter the occupation. Some employers require or prefer that candidates have a graduate degree.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as computer and information systems managers.
- Bachelor's Degree47.7%
- Some College Courses26.0%
- Master's Degree14.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate5.8%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate2.8%
What does an IT Manager do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as electronic data processing, information systems, systems analysis, and computer programming.
Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. They help determine the IT goals of an organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.
Day-to-day tasks
- Stay abreast of advances in technology.
- Direct daily operations of department, analyzing workflow, establishing priorities, developing standards and setting deadlines.
- Review project plans to plan and coordinate project activity.
- Recruit, hire, train and supervise staff, or participate in staffing decisions.
- Evaluate the organization's technology use and needs and recommend improvements, such as hardware and software upgrades.
- Prepare and review operational reports or project progress reports.
- Meet with department heads, managers, supervisors, vendors, and others, to solicit cooperation and resolve problems.
- Develop and interpret organizational goals, policies, and procedures.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where computer and information systems managers work
| Computer systems design and related services | 20% |
|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | 13% |
| Information | 13% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 10% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Active Learning3.4/5
- Learning Strategies3.3/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Coordination3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.6/5
- Systems Analysis3.6/5
- Systems Evaluation3.6/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.6/5
- Time Management3.4/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an IT Manager?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.7
Investigativeprimary4.5
Artistic1.5
Social2.4
Enterprisingprimary5.1
Conventionalprimary5.9
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
IT Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Computer and Information Systems Managers make?
Computer and Information Systems Managers earn a median of $175,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 244% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $84.20/hr. The middle half earn between $138,060 and $220,730. The top 10% earn $297,510 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an IT Manager?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Computer and Information Systems Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 47.7% hold bachelor's degree.
Is IT Manager a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 15.2% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 55,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an IT Manager do?
Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. A core O*NET task: stay abreast of advances in technology. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Computer and Information Systems Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Computer and Information Systems Managers are California ($218,290), Massachusetts ($214,960), New York ($214,300) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Massachusetts moves to the top at $203,258.
What personality type suits an IT Manager?
O*NET scores Computer and Information Systems Managers highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.