Computer and Information Systems Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as electronic data processing, information systems, systems analysis, and computer programming.
What it pays
Computer and Information Systems Managers earn a median of $84.20/hr — about $175,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $51.71/hr; the top 10% earn $143.03/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Computer and Information Systems Managers earn a median of $84.20/hr — about $175,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $51.71/hr; the top 10% earn $143.03/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Direct daily operations of department, analyzing workflow, establishing priorities, developing standards and setting deadlines.
- Meet with department heads, managers, supervisors, vendors, and others, to solicit cooperation and resolve problems.
- Review project plans to plan and coordinate project activity.
- Assign and review the work of systems analysts, programmers, and other computer-related workers.
- Provide users with technical support for computer problems.
- Develop computer information resources, providing for data security and control, strategic computing, and disaster recovery.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.9% of computer and information systems managers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, take-charge and analytical.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a computer and information systems manager make?
- The median pay is $84.20 per hour — roughly $175,000 a year, with the real range running from about $51.71/hr (10th percentile) to $143.03/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a computer and information systems manager?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a computer and information systems manager actually do all day?
- Direct daily operations of department, analyzing workflow, establishing priorities, developing standards and setting deadlines. Meet with department heads, managers, supervisors, vendors, and others, to solicit cooperation and resolve problems. Review project plans to plan and coordinate project activity.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.