IT management bridges technical operations with organizational leadership. Compensation reflects both technical expertise and the management premium earned for leading teams, budgets, and strategic initiatives.
Pay at a Glance (BLS Data)
Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates for computer and information systems managers, across all industries:
| Percentile | Annual Wage | Hourly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $107,550 | $51.71 |
| 25th | $138,060 | $66.38 |
| 50th (median) | $175,140 | $84.20 |
| 75th | $220,730 | $106.12 |
| 90th | $297,510 | $143.03 |
| Average (mean) | $192,160 | $92.38 |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, for Computer and Information Systems Managers (all industries). Hourly figures are annual wages divided by 2,080 hours. “Not published” means BLS withheld the estimate, usually because wages are above its top reporting limit.
IT Manager Salary by Level
| Level | Title | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Frontline manager | IT Manager / Infrastructure Manager | $98,000-$140,000 |
| Mid management | Senior IT Manager / IT Director | $140,000-$195,000 |
| Senior management | Director of IT / Director of Technology | $165,000-$230,000 |
| VP level | VP IT / VP Technology | $195,000-$290,000 |
| C-suite | CIO / CTO | $230,000-$500,000+ |
IT Manager Salary vs Individual Contributor
| Role | IC Salary | Manager Equivalent | Management Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network/Systems Admin | $75,000-$100,000 | IT Manager | +$30,000-$45,000 |
| IT Support / Help Desk | $45,000-$70,000 | IT Support Manager | +$35,000-$50,000 |
| Senior Systems Engineer | $110,000-$140,000 | IT Director | +$30,000-$60,000 |
| Cloud/Infrastructure Engineer | $115,000-$150,000 | Cloud/Infra Manager | +$25,000-$45,000 |
| Security Engineer | $110,000-$150,000 | Security Manager / CISO | +$30,000-$80,000+ |
Salary by Company Size
| Company Size | IT Manager Salary |
|---|---|
| Small business (< 100 employees) | $85,000-$115,000 |
| Mid-size (100-999 employees) | $110,000-$145,000 |
| Large enterprise (1,000-10,000) | $135,000-$175,000 |
| Fortune 500 / large tech | $155,000-$220,000+ |
| Government / public sector | $90,000-$130,000 |
IT Manager Salary by Industry
| Industry | Notes |
|---|---|
| Technology / software | Highest; includes equity |
| Financial services / banking | High compliance requirements |
| Healthcare | HIPAA driving demand |
| Government / public sector | Below average base; strong benefits/pension |
| Manufacturing | OT/IT convergence driving demand |
| Retail / hospitality | Below average |
| Consulting / MSP | Diverse experience |
Certifications That Help IT Managers
| Certification | Value for IT Managers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ITIL Foundation / Practitioner | High – service management framework | Industry standard |
| PMP (Project Management Professional) | High – large project responsibility | $130K+ salary correlation |
| CISSP | Very high for security management | CISO pipeline |
| AWS / Azure Solutions Architect | High in cloud-heavy environments | Technical credibility |
| CISM (ISACA) | High for security management | CISO pathway |
| MBA | High at director and above | Strategic leadership |
IT Manager Salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg Salary | Starting Salary | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $238,440 | $129,970 | $218,290 |
| 2 | New York | $223,590 | $134,870 | $214,300 |
| 3 | Washington | $222,510 | $130,010 | $209,370 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $218,740 | $134,390 | $214,960 |
| 5 | Virginia | $206,920 | $133,320 | $201,490 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $206,650 | $137,070 | $203,460 |
| 7 | Colorado | $202,500 | $130,570 | $199,420 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $200,760 | $126,520 | $195,190 |
| 9 | Delaware | $190,950 | $124,290 | $168,500 |
| 10 | Georgia | $187,100 | $119,110 | $173,940 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $186,790 | $112,090 | $176,540 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $186,520 | $110,830 | $176,380 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $184,680 | $108,280 | $172,860 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $184,030 | $105,920 | $171,750 |
| 15 | Texas | $181,500 | $106,390 | $171,530 |
| 16 | Oregon | $180,880 | $109,370 | $175,270 |
| 17 | Illinois | $179,190 | $105,350 | $171,730 |
| 18 | Nevada | $177,200 | $99,090 | $165,000 |
| 19 | Maryland | $176,850 | $106,620 | $171,490 |
| 20 | Florida | $175,140 | $100,390 | $168,470 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $174,020 | $103,410 | $167,270 |
| 22 | Kansas | $171,190 | $102,690 | $164,830 |
| 23 | Arizona | $170,050 | $102,320 | $166,430 |
| 24 | Utah | $169,960 | $107,580 | $163,610 |
| 25 | Ohio | $169,360 | $100,900 | $163,640 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $169,100 | $101,520 | $163,910 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $168,550 | $119,670 | $162,240 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $167,270 | $98,380 | $158,700 |
| 29 | Michigan | $166,790 | $99,270 | $163,760 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $166,190 | $95,990 | $160,860 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $165,150 | $99,260 | $160,140 |
| 32 | Maine | $163,470 | $99,030 | $160,260 |
| 33 | Missouri | $158,620 | $95,690 | $159,460 |
| 34 | Idaho | $156,520 | $92,680 | $162,240 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $155,230 | $103,200 | $141,640 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $154,800 | $89,870 | $137,730 |
| 37 | Iowa | $154,640 | $101,340 | $143,780 |
| 38 | Indiana | $153,520 | $94,780 | $142,040 |
| 39 | Vermont | $152,390 | $99,180 | $138,460 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $150,620 | $85,770 | $140,360 |
| 41 | Alabama | $148,000 | $83,260 | $138,670 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $147,830 | $97,360 | $135,780 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $146,840 | $94,820 | $149,130 |
| 44 | Montana | $146,100 | $92,820 | $132,860 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $146,050 | $82,970 | $137,280 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $141,510 | $78,440 | $139,820 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $138,910 | $78,630 | $127,220 |
| 48 | Alaska | $138,190 | $92,290 | $133,490 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $136,670 | $80,390 | $127,500 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $135,610 | $83,740 | $120,850 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $131,880 | $79,570 | $124,280 |
| — | National | $192,160 | $107,550 | $175,140 |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 estimates, fetched 2026-09-29. Figures cover Computer and Information Systems Managers (cross-industry). Some states are omitted where BLS did not publish a reliable estimate.
Career Progression to CIO
| Stage | Typical Age/Timeline | Salary Target |
|---|---|---|
| IT Support / Admin | Years 1-5 | $50,000-$85,000 |
| Systems / Network Engineer | Years 3-8 | $85,000-$115,000 |
| IT Manager (first management role) | Years 6-12 | $110,000-$145,000 |
| IT Director | Years 10-18 | $155,000-$210,000 |
| VP of Technology | Years 15-22 | $200,000-$280,000 |
| CIO | Years 20+ | $250,000-$500,000+ |
Related Salary Guides
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IT manager salaries are tracked in the profession salary guides hub. Compare earnings with a technical peer role in the cybersecurity analyst salary guide, and benchmark against national pay ranges at the good salary hub.
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