How to Become an IT Manager

Is this the year you put the wheels in motion to become an Information Technology (IT) manager? Smart. It’s a valuable role across organizations of every size and sector.

What’s more, “IT manager" might even be a stepping stone to roles like IT director and Chief Information Officer or IT specializations such as cybersecurity or cloud computing.

But how do you go from point A — whether that’s high school graduate, help desk or somewhere further along the food chain — to point B? The first step is to understand the role. Once you know it’s right for you, you’ll want to assess where you are on your career path, then get the education and experience you need to move forward.

So, What Does an IT Manager Do?

Before you pursue a career as an IT manager, make sure you know what the role involves. In a nutshell, IT managers plan, coordinate and direct an organization’s computer-related activities, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said.

According to IBM, an international technology company, separating technology from daily business operations of today might be impossible. As an IT manager, IBM said you would work to ensure the security, availability and performance of technology in your organization — a vital role in almost any modern workplace.

There are 3 main components to the daily work in this role, according to Arana Fireheart, associate dean of information technology at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). They include:

1. People management
2. Project management
3. Budget planning

You might also work to maintain and analyze an organization's IT needs.

Fireheart has over two decades of experience in designing, developing and supporting software and hardware systems, as well as teaching computer science and IT. His work also focuses on embedded systems, web development and process automation.

What Degree Do You Need to Become an IT Manager?

Ready to learn how to become an IT Manager? According to BLS, you'll likely need at least a bachelor's degree in a related field.

Education is necessary for anyone working in IT, but Fireheart said it's especially important for leaders. "A manager without experience in the 'subject' they are managing can not make good decisions," Fireheart said. "Get a degree in tech."

Some degree options in the field include:

• Bachelor's in computer science
• Bachelor's in computer information systems
• Bachelor's in cybersecurity
• Bachelor's in information technologies

BLS noted that many in the IT management field also possess a related master's degree.

Sean Davis '23G opted to earn his master's in cybersecurity from SNHU after almost three decades of working in IT. "While I became a senior consultant in my field, the lack of a related degree background always seemed to cost me respect," Davis said.

He started thinking about earning a master's and decided on cybersecurity. "Cybersecurity has been an emerging field with direct implications for my organization," he said. "I could foresee the impact of new regulations and laws and I wanted to be prepared to lead my organization through changing times."

Although earning a degree while working was a challenge, Davis completed his program in 2023. "My organization had to downsize by 25% and needed leadership from me as the IT Director, which consumed a lot of time," said Davis. "I can't express how much it (means) to me to be the first in my family to obtain a master's degree."

You could also consider earning a business degree for your master's, according to Fireheart. "Climbing higher on that ladder will be easier with some more formal business training," he said.

For instance, at SNHU, you could specialize with an MBA in IT Management.

Is Experience Important?

While a degree in information technology can help you hone the technical skills you’ll need to enter the field or receive the promotion you want, experience is a key element in how to become an IT manager, according to Fireheart.

"Start leading a team," Fireheart said. "Practical experience is much, much better."

That could even mean leading a project, committee or initiative at your current workplace.

“Before you can manage a team, you have to be a member of a team, and many companies promote managers from within,” said Tori Chartrand, a career advisor at SNHU. In general, she says most IT managers need a minimum of two to three years of experience.

Chartrand and SNHU colleagues Faryal Humkar, undergraduate IT career advisor, and Ernesto Chapa, military IT career advisor, recommend different approaches depending on your academic level and career phase.

“For learners trying to break into the field, I encourage them to gain experience through internships,” said Humkar. “You can begin applying to internships once you start taking your core classes.”

For career changers, Chapa advises studying and testing for industry-recognized certifications in IT specialties like cybersecurity or project management.

“For learners already in the field and trying to move up into a management role, I recommend taking on more leadership projects so you can highlight that on your resume,” said Chartrand.

What Skills Do IT Managers Need?

In a role that requires wearing multiple hats and straddling both technical and business operations, an effective IT manager needs both technical and soft skills in equal measure.

“There’s always a strong focus on the technical skills to be an IT manager,” Chartrand said, “but the soft skills are just as important. In an IT management role, you’re managing a team as well as their technical skills.”

Here are the top skills these career advisors recommend to become an effective IT manager:

• Communication, especially the ability to listen, ask clarifying questions and communicate with audiences of varying technical abilities
• Problem-solving, or being able to break down a problem to get to the root cause and avoid wasting time chasing symptoms
• Prioritizing on the fly, which involves assessing a problem in terms of time and cost and balancing it against other demands
• Systems thinking mentality, or the ability to identify and evaluate the impacts of changes or events, both internal and external to the business

They also noted the importance of technical ability, including a grounding in networking, security, hardware, database, scripting, cloud and operating systems. IT managers should also possess skills in analytics, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, IMB said.

According to Fireheart, other important skills for IT managers include:

• Agile process training
• Cybersecurity training
• Financial management skills
• People management skills

What is the Job Outlook for IT Managers?

The median annual salary for IT managers was $169,510 in 2023, according to BLS.* BLS reports the top 10% of earners in the year received a salary of $239,200 that same year, while the lowest 10% of earners made $101,590 or less.* It's important to note that those salary ranges take into account high-ranking positions such as chief information officer and chief technology officer and more junior positions would be paid lower salaries.

In addition to above-average salary potential in the role, BLS projects 17% growth for IT management positions by 2033 — far outpacing the 4% growth projected for all occupations.*

In addition to traditional business sectors, Chapa counsels students to look at Department of Defense (DoD) federal work and civilian contracting. Keep in mind, however, that DoD work requires special Information Assurance Technology (IAT) certifications. Learn more about the DoD IAT requirements here.

With challenging work and a wide range of opportunities, the role of IT manager presents all sorts of exciting possibilities.

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

Betty Egan '17 is a seasoned copywriter, editor and content director with 40+ years of experience, agency side and in-house. She has worked across every vertical from automotive to utilities, in short-form and long-form, print, digital and broadcast.

Egan has deep experience in higher education, honed while leading the creative team that helped scale the online division of Southern New Hampshire University to one of the fastest growing in the nation. She has also developed multimedia campaigns for UMass Amherst and told alumni stories for the Carroll School of Business at Boston College. Egan holds a BS in Journalism from Boston University and a master’s certificate in social media marketing from SNHU. Connect with her on LinkedIn.