Even though VP of Information Technology is a fancy title, many people still don’t fully understand the role. Fortunately, this post got you all covered.
What Does a VP of IT Do?
The VP of IT, or chief information officer (CIO), is the executive in charge of all company information technology (IT). A VP of IT is responsible for developing and implementing the company’s IT strategy, which includes computing, networking, software, and other tools.
A VP of IT ensures that the company has a secure, reliable and efficient technology infrastructure that enables it to operate properly and meet its goals, objectives and vision. The VP of IT also has to make sure that new technologies do implement to support changes in the business environment.
What Does a VP of IT NOT Do?
A VP of IT does not personally configure and support user computers. They delegate those tasks to an IT department whose head reports directly to the VP. In addition, they don’t do any coding or programming. That task is left to a chief technology officer (CTO) or other designated person responsible for software development.
What Does the Role Need?
A VP should have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering or a related field. They should have several years of experience working in an organization as a systems analyst or other senior-level IT position. A background in business management is essential because the VP will often report directly to the CFO (chief financial officer).
A certification in project management from an accredited university can be handy if the company requires it.
The top VPs are usually certified as project managers by PMI. An MBA and CPA are helpful but not always necessary if you already have extensive experience managing large projects.
How to Become an Information Technology Vice President
If you want to be a vice president of information technology, one of the first things you should think about is how much schooling you’ll need. We discovered that 66.4 per cent of information technology vice presidents had a bachelor’s degree or above.
In terms of higher education, we discovered that 16.3 per cent of information technology vice presidents had master’s degrees. Although most vice presidents of information technology have a college degree, it is feasible to become one with only a high school diploma or GED.
When investigating how to become a vice president of information technology, choosing the proper major is always crucial. When we looked into the most popular majors for a vice president of information technology, we discovered that they often acquire bachelor’s or master’s degrees.
Other degrees that we frequently find on vice president of information technology resumes are an associate and doctorate degrees.
What Does a VP of IT Earn?
A recent survey conducted by Robert Half Technology says that the average salary for a VP of IT in the United States is $145,000. The salary ranges from $101,000 to $222,500. The industry with the highest pay is telecommunications, followed by financial services and government.