IT Manager Salary 2026: A $175,140 Median, and BLS Now Shows the Top 10% Start at $297,510
The typical IT manager salary in the United States is $175,140 a year ($84.20 an hour), the May 2025 BLS median for computer and information systems managers. Pay runs from $107,550 at the 10th percentile to $297,510 at the 90th, a figure last year’s release showed only as “$239,200 or more.” The 90th percentile tops the old $239,200 cap in 49 of the 64 industries with at least 1,000 IT managers.
We downloaded the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) files for May 2025 and May 2024 and read the pay percentiles for computer and information systems managers (SOC 11-3021) in every industry, state and metro area BLS publishes. We added BEA state and metro price levels, 3,897 manager and director labor rates from GSA’s federal contract database, and the Office of Personnel Management’s records for 84,652 federal IT specialists, 13,745 of them supervisors or managers.
Who BLS counts as an IT manager
BLS has no occupation called “IT manager.” Its Occupational Outlook Handbook says computer and information systems managers are “often called information technology (IT) managers” and may hold titles such as chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO) or management information systems (MIS) director. The 2018 SOC title file assigns 13 job titles to the code, including Chief Technology Officer, Computer Operations Manager, Computer Security Manager, Information Systems Manager, Information Technology Director and MIS Director. The handbook also places help desk managers and IT security managers here. So every figure on this page covers that whole management group, from a help desk manager to a CIO.
The pay-by-industry wall
Each tile is one of the 64 industries with at least 1,000 IT managers, sorted by median pay, with the 90th percentile and job count below it. Streaming and social networks ($246,410), web search portals and info services ($237,930) and semiconductor manufacturing ($229,220) pay the most. Individual and family services pays the least, $121,560. The red outline marks computer systems design and related services (NAICS 5415), the industry where MSPs and IT consultancies sit.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates (4-digit NAICS or the most detailed OEWS industry group), cross-ownership. Industries with fewer than 1,000 IT managers are omitted here but included in the download (202 industries in total).
The biggest employers are computer systems design (131,930), corporate headquarters (73,160) and software publishers (35,120). Computer systems design firms employ 131,930 IT managers, 20% of the national total, at a $179,510 median that ranks 22nd of 64. Corporate headquarters (management of companies and enterprises) pay $176,950. Telecommunications pays $173,560.
Across sectors, the top tenth now shows
Until this year, any OEWS percentile at or above $115.00 an hour ($239,200 a year) was published only as a footnote saying the wage was “equal to or greater than” that amount. In the May 2024 file, the national 90th percentile for IT managers is exactly that footnote. Beginning with the May 2025 estimates, BLS says it now publishes specific values for many of those percentiles. The national 90th percentile is $297,510, and in 14 of 20 sectors the 90th percentile sits above the old cap (red dots).
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, national sector estimates. “Government” is the OEWS designation for federal, state and local government excluding state and local schools and hospitals and the Postal Service.
Government is the clear exception. The sector’s 90th percentile is $195,190, and the federal executive branch shows a median of $188,610 but a 90th percentile of only $197,870: federal pay is compressed under statutory caps, which the OPM records below confirm. Private employers pay a $177,620 median with a 90th percentile of $300,760; state governments pay a $133,730 median and local governments $134,790.
| Percentile | Annual, May 2025 | Hourly, May 2025 | Annual, May 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $107,550 | $51.71 | $104,450 | +3.0% |
| 25th percentile | $138,060 | $66.38 | $134,350 | +2.8% |
| Median | $175,140 | $84.20 | $171,200 | +2.3% |
| 75th percentile | $220,730 | $106.12 | $216,220 | +2.1% |
| 90th percentile | $297,510 | $143.03 | ≥ $239,200 (top-coded) | not comparable |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates, May 2025 and May 2024. The two releases share four of six survey panels, so one-year changes are indicative. The 90th percentile cannot be compared because May 2024 shows only the top-code footnote. Employment rose 3.8% to 670,570.
The manager premium
An IT manager at the median earns 1.77 times the median systems administrator and 2.83 times the median help desk technician. Even against the best-paid staff roles the gap is large: 1.36 times the median security analyst and 1.29 times the median software developer. The IT manager 10th percentile ($107,550) is above the median for help desk and systems administrators.
| Staff role (SOC code) | Jobs | Median | 90th percentile | IT manager median as a multiple | Dollar gap at the median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer user support specialists (15-1232) | 717,190 | $61,860 | $100,540 | 2.83x | $113,280 |
| Network and computer systems administrators (15-1244) | 314,340 | $99,130 | $155,050 | 1.77x | $76,010 |
| Information security analysts (15-1212) | 190,650 | $129,180 | $199,850 | 1.36x | $45,960 |
| Software developers (15-1252) | 1,687,890 | $135,980 | $214,670 | 1.29x | $39,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. BLS does not link managers to the staff they supervise; the multiples compare occupation medians.
The premium is not the same everywhere. Measured against systems administrators in the same industry, it ranges from 1.40x in building equipment contractors to 2.80x in web search portals and info services; in computer systems design it is 1.77x ($179,510 against $101,560). Across states it runs from 1.37x in Alaska to 2.16x in South Dakota (a small market of 380 IT managers). Pay for the staff side of the comparison is broken out in our cybersecurity salary, help desk salary and software engineer salary reports.
IT manager salary by state, adjusted for cost
State medians range from $120,850 in Wyoming to $218,290 in California. Pay tracks local prices (the correlation between state medians and BEA price levels is 0.74), so the map divides each median by the state’s 2024 Regional Price Parity. After that adjustment Massachusetts ranks first at $203,258, followed by Virginia and New York; Hawaii ranks last ($128,821).
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities, all items, 2024. Value shown = state median divided by RPP/100, in national-average dollars.
The biggest climbers after the cost adjustment are South Dakota (29th to 9th, with only 380 IT managers), Missouri (33rd to 16th), Tennessee (34th to 17th); the biggest fallers are Maryland (17th to 35th), Florida (19th to 36th), New Hampshire (9th to 24th). In 23 states the 90th percentile is above $239,200. For staff-level medians in every state, see our IT salaries by state matrix.
| Rank, cost-adjusted | State | Median | 10th | 90th | Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cost-adjusted median | Rank, nominal | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $214,960 | $134,390 | $308,250 | 105.8 | $203,258 | 2 | 24,910 |
| 2 | Virginia | $201,490 | $133,320 | $300,720 | 101.1 | $199,290 | 6 | 17,550 |
| 3 | New York | $214,300 | $134,870 | $323,670 | 107.9 | $198,571 | 3 | 48,050 |
| 4 | California | $218,290 | $129,970 | $325,970 | 110.7 | $197,155 | 1 | 94,720 |
| 5 | Washington | $209,370 | $130,010 | $327,300 | 107.0 | $195,649 | 4 | 16,960 |
| 6 | Colorado | $199,420 | $130,570 | $293,250 | 103.1 | $193,514 | 7 | 11,510 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $203,460 | $137,070 | $294,110 | 108.8 | $186,995 | 5 | 34,470 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $172,860 | $108,280 | $287,840 | 94.3 | $183,258 | 13 | 25,650 |
| 9 | South Dakota | $162,240 | $119,670 | $221,420 | 88.6 | $183,144 | 29 | 380 |
| 10 | Kansas | $164,830 | $102,690 | $253,010 | 90.1 | $183,006 | 23 | 4,050 |
| 11 | Georgia | $173,940 | $119,110 | $279,640 | 96.3 | $180,636 | 12 | 18,560 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $176,380 | $110,830 | $277,490 | 98.6 | $178,846 | 10 | 10,970 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $195,190 | $126,520 | $286,280 | 109.9 | $177,605 | 8 | 5,690 |
| 14 | Texas | $171,530 | $106,390 | $277,160 | 97.1 | $176,731 | 16 | 73,060 |
| 15 | Ohio | $163,640 | $100,900 | $233,510 | 92.8 | $176,386 | 26 | 19,500 |
| 16 | Missouri | $159,460 | $95,690 | $216,330 | 90.8 | $175,584 | 33 | 11,130 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $158,700 | $98,380 | $237,640 | 91.9 | $172,744 | 34 | 12,040 |
| 18 | Illinois | $171,730 | $105,350 | $273,500 | 100.0 | $171,802 | 15 | 31,680 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $160,860 | $95,990 | $233,500 | 93.7 | $171,586 | 30 | 4,930 |
| 20 | Michigan | $163,760 | $99,270 | $232,870 | 96.2 | $170,199 | 25 | 16,010 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $160,140 | $99,260 | $230,980 | 94.1 | $170,190 | 32 | 8,880 |
| 22 | Idaho | $162,240 | $92,680 | $219,380 | 95.5 | $169,895 | 28 | 1,950 |
| 23 | Oregon | $175,270 | $109,370 | $264,440 | 103.4 | $169,571 | 11 | 7,440 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $176,540 | $112,090 | $263,960 | 104.2 | $169,481 | 9 | 3,810 |
| 25 | Delaware | $168,500 | $124,290 | $310,250 | 99.8 | $168,824 | 18 | 2,140 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $163,910 | $101,520 | $246,580 | 97.6 | $167,989 | 24 | 27,060 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $149,130 | $94,820 | $192,560 | 89.0 | $167,639 | 35 | 850 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $171,750 | $105,920 | $290,600 | 103.6 | $165,766 | 14 | 10,570 |
| 29 | Utah | $163,610 | $107,580 | $237,970 | 98.9 | $165,490 | 27 | 8,810 |
| 30 | Arizona | $166,430 | $102,320 | $228,200 | 100.7 | $165,311 | 21 | 14,270 |
| 31 | Maine | $160,260 | $99,030 | $218,290 | 97.0 | $165,131 | 31 | 1,450 |
| 32 | Nevada | $165,000 | $99,090 | $294,150 | 100.0 | $165,035 | 22 | 3,610 |
| 33 | Iowa | $143,780 | $101,340 | $213,730 | 87.8 | $163,829 | 36 | 3,920 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $167,270 | $103,410 | $252,140 | 102.3 | $163,541 | 20 | 1,210 |
| 35 | Maryland | $171,490 | $106,620 | $245,830 | 105.0 | $163,388 | 17 | 14,620 |
| 36 | Florida | $168,470 | $100,390 | $264,460 | 103.4 | $162,908 | 19 | 35,040 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $137,280 | $82,970 | $214,590 | 87.8 | $156,279 | 44 | 3,790 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $139,820 | $78,440 | $205,040 | 89.5 | $156,229 | 40 | 1,100 |
| 39 | Alabama | $138,670 | $83,260 | $213,460 | 88.8 | $156,119 | 41 | 7,670 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $140,360 | $85,770 | $217,000 | 90.2 | $155,681 | 39 | 3,130 |
| 41 | Indiana | $142,040 | $94,780 | $214,590 | 93.3 | $152,193 | 37 | 8,060 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $135,780 | $97,360 | $211,500 | 90.1 | $150,694 | 45 | 5,070 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $137,730 | $89,870 | $234,780 | 92.2 | $149,362 | 43 | 1,500 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $127,220 | $78,630 | $219,250 | 86.9 | $146,336 | 49 | 3,420 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $127,500 | $80,390 | $200,870 | 88.2 | $144,546 | 48 | 2,860 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $124,280 | $79,570 | $186,730 | 87.0 | $142,928 | 50 | 1,710 |
| 47 | Vermont | $138,460 | $99,180 | $226,960 | 98.0 | $141,346 | 42 | 1,100 |
| 48 | Montana | $132,860 | $92,820 | $215,800 | 94.6 | $140,377 | 47 | 1,180 |
| 49 | Alaska | $133,490 | $92,290 | $197,510 | 102.4 | $130,414 | 46 | 970 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $120,850 | $83,740 | $197,960 | 92.7 | $130,379 | 51 | 330 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $141,640 | $103,200 | $229,880 | 110.0 | $128,821 | 38 | 1,200 |
Top-paying metro areas
Among the 81 metro areas with at least 1,000 IT managers, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the most by a wide margin: a $291,660 median and a $377,060 90th percentile. The New York metro has the most IT managers (62,430) at a $215,300 median. After adjusting for metro price levels, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA still ranks first ($264,130), and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is second ($201,439). In 124 of 381 metros with a published 90th percentile, it is above $239,200.
| # | Metro area | IT managers | 10th | Median | 90th | Cost-adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 19,070 | $164,400 | $291,660 | $377,060 | $264,130 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 23,830 | $155,660 | $232,890 | $335,770 | $201,439 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 62,430 | $139,610 | $215,300 | $322,410 | $191,271 |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 20,530 | $136,800 | $214,960 | $310,450 | $198,548 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 13,170 | $132,270 | $214,680 | $333,990 | $193,174 |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 7,250 | $127,840 | $206,740 | $304,530 | $184,776 |
| 7 | Boulder, CO | 1,220 | $132,210 | $206,260 | $314,480 | $196,061 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 23,180 | $125,600 | $204,370 | $297,260 | $179,957 |
| 9 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 7,730 | $133,450 | $203,340 | $293,820 | $192,226 |
| 10 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 2,900 | $121,820 | $201,440 | $325,050 | $188,501 |
| 11 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 2,000 | $133,870 | $197,420 | $291,560 | $191,336 |
| 12 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 20,800 | $133,100 | $195,190 | $295,960 | $179,264 |
| 13 | Worcester, MA | 1,150 | $113,850 | $193,890 | $291,440 | $189,119 |
| 14 | Colorado Springs, CO | 1,050 | $119,420 | $192,400 | $285,520 | $191,049 |
| 15 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 5,680 | $120,350 | $183,720 | $274,530 | $174,273 |
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan area estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities by metro area, 2024.
Every industry, ranked
The full grid behind the wall, with the 25th and 75th percentiles and the premium over systems administrators in the same industry.
| # | Industry | IT managers | 10th | Median | 75th | 90th | Premium over sysadmins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Streaming and social networks NAICS 5162 |
5,680 | $139,180 | $246,410 | $332,900 | $364,880 | 2.06x |
| 2 | Web search portals and info services NAICS 5192 |
5,340 | $150,000 | $237,930 | $329,730 | $371,350 | 2.80x |
| 3 | Semiconductor manufacturing NAICS 3344 |
4,390 | $145,010 | $229,220 | $308,110 | $314,150 | 1.97x |
| 4 | Taxi and limousine service NAICS 4853 |
1,550 | $169,950 | $227,680 | $295,470 | $298,860 | 1.63x |
| 5 | Scientific R&D NAICS 5417 |
16,160 | $138,020 | $215,680 | $280,960 | $319,250 | 1.72x |
| 6 | Computer equipment manufacturing NAICS 3341 |
2,720 | $134,610 | $215,490 | $300,660 | $325,700 | 2.49x |
| 7 | Securities and investments NAICS 5230 |
18,630 | $143,530 | $214,460 | $278,770 | $320,960 | 1.84x |
| 8 | Nondepository lenders NAICS 5222 |
6,000 | $132,220 | $207,160 | $278,090 | $312,290 | 1.85x |
| 9 | Measuring and control instruments NAICS 3345 |
6,580 | $133,080 | $205,950 | $229,310 | $295,640 | 1.77x |
| 10 | Accounting and payroll services NAICS 5412 |
13,090 | $131,480 | $204,820 | $226,440 | $315,770 | 2.05x |
| 11 | Software publishers NAICS 5132 |
35,120 | $119,610 | $202,250 | $260,110 | $313,390 | 1.96x |
| 12 | Drug and chemical wholesalers OEWS code 4240A2 |
3,290 | $124,970 | $201,440 | $226,860 | $287,110 | 2.03x |
| 13 | Travel arrangement NAICS 5615 |
1,850 | $113,010 | $191,100 | $224,870 | $288,790 | 1.68x |
| 14 | Federal executive branch OEWS code 999100 |
7,080 | $147,970 | $188,610 | $195,190 | $197,870 | 1.55x |
| 15 | Aerospace manufacturing NAICS 3364 |
4,680 | $110,000 | $187,030 | $218,800 | $252,540 | 1.68x |
| 16 | Pharmaceutical manufacturing NAICS 3254 |
2,520 | $132,220 | $185,630 | $218,870 | $294,970 | 1.75x |
| 17 | Medical equipment manufacturing NAICS 3391 |
1,800 | $130,300 | $183,190 | $222,260 | $295,020 | 1.68x |
| 18 | Newspaper and book publishers NAICS 5131 |
3,590 | $103,100 | $182,640 | $223,090 | $290,100 | 1.86x |
| 19 | Wholesale agents and brokers NAICS 4251 |
2,600 | $123,910 | $182,520 | $239,750 | $292,850 | n/a |
| 20 | Computer and office equipment wholesalers NAICS 4234 |
11,450 | $112,220 | $180,750 | $224,520 | $311,180 | 1.82x |
| 21 | Real estate NAICS 5310 |
3,580 | $106,520 | $180,260 | $224,670 | $293,620 | 2.24x |
| 22 | Computer systems design (MSPs, IT services) NAICS 5415 |
131,930 | $108,350 | $179,510 | $223,580 | $301,410 | 1.77x |
| 23 | Computing infrastructure and hosting NAICS 5182 |
26,210 | $104,020 | $179,470 | $232,240 | $309,460 | 1.79x |
| 24 | Communications equipment makers NAICS 3342 |
2,030 | $107,030 | $179,010 | $225,190 | $288,970 | 1.74x |
| 25 | Management consulting NAICS 5416 |
24,970 | $109,990 | $178,670 | $226,320 | $306,740 | 1.73x |
| 26 | Legal services NAICS 5411 |
3,620 | $112,580 | $178,350 | $228,950 | $320,400 | 1.71x |
| 27 | Other professional services NAICS 5419 |
5,120 | $107,260 | $178,340 | $221,090 | $296,480 | 1.83x |
| 28 | Medical and diagnostic labs NAICS 6215 |
1,110 | $117,370 | $178,040 | $217,460 | $281,400 | 1.86x |
| 29 | Corporate headquarters NAICS 5511 |
73,160 | $126,860 | $176,950 | $219,170 | $297,180 | 1.70x |
| 30 | Insurance agencies and brokers NAICS 5242 |
11,270 | $122,640 | $176,150 | $214,390 | $275,020 | 1.78x |
| 31 | Banks and credit intermediation OEWS code 5220A1 |
22,750 | $116,580 | $174,780 | $222,580 | $310,930 | 1.87x |
| 32 | Motion picture and video NAICS 5121 |
1,200 | $106,670 | $174,160 | $224,070 | $294,580 | n/a |
| 33 | Chemical manufacturing OEWS code 3250A1 |
1,560 | $124,370 | $173,970 | $208,370 | $226,640 | 1.60x |
| 34 | Insurance carriers NAICS 5241 |
21,900 | $130,500 | $173,790 | $214,900 | $285,730 | 1.68x |
| 35 | Telecommunications NAICS 5170 |
11,820 | $113,200 | $173,560 | $213,500 | $264,440 | 1.71x |
| 36 | Educational support services NAICS 6117 |
2,420 | $101,570 | $173,540 | $203,930 | $272,590 | 1.72x |
| 37 | Advertising and PR NAICS 5418 |
4,660 | $97,250 | $173,420 | $218,160 | $290,620 | 1.90x |
| 38 | Architecture and engineering services NAICS 5413 |
9,840 | $107,220 | $173,170 | $213,720 | $271,200 | 1.63x |
| 39 | Office administrative services NAICS 5611 |
7,770 | $106,880 | $172,780 | $218,810 | $281,310 | 1.72x |
| 40 | Employment services (staffing) NAICS 5613 |
7,110 | $99,350 | $171,870 | $217,890 | $291,300 | 1.73x |
| 41 | Electric power utilities NAICS 2211 |
2,440 | $126,230 | $170,500 | $210,790 | $268,940 | 1.58x |
| 42 | Machinery manufacturing OEWS code 3330A1 |
2,980 | $110,690 | $170,490 | $214,280 | $275,000 | 1.73x |
| 43 | Paper, fuel, other wholesalers OEWS code 4240A3 |
1,260 | $105,450 | $169,990 | $214,460 | $286,400 | 1.77x |
| 44 | Durable goods wholesalers (other) OEWS code 4230A1 |
4,690 | $105,170 | $169,740 | $209,820 | $263,660 | 1.77x |
| 45 | Business, labor and political groups NAICS 8139 |
2,890 | $103,320 | $168,840 | $207,530 | $275,190 | 1.71x |
| 46 | General hospitals NAICS 6221 |
10,370 | $106,910 | $167,380 | $206,990 | $257,780 | 1.66x |
| 47 | Business support services NAICS 5614 |
3,690 | $99,030 | $167,240 | $216,410 | $286,520 | 1.87x |
| 48 | Freight arrangement NAICS 4885 |
1,070 | $104,020 | $166,850 | $199,980 | $267,330 | 1.68x |
| 49 | Other ambulatory health care NAICS 6219 |
1,180 | $105,120 | $163,830 | $205,050 | $271,700 | 1.58x |
| 50 | Warehousing and storage NAICS 4931 |
1,760 | $99,850 | $161,690 | $192,860 | $215,110 | 1.79x |
| 51 | Nonresidential construction NAICS 2362 |
1,250 | $101,540 | $160,860 | $199,920 | $248,800 | 1.66x |
| 52 | Grocery and alcohol wholesalers OEWS code 4240A1 |
1,480 | $96,760 | $160,740 | $199,690 | $239,060 | 1.76x |
| 53 | Machinery wholesalers NAICS 4238 |
1,840 | $98,810 | $159,970 | $184,730 | $228,350 | 1.66x |
| 54 | Outpatient care centers NAICS 6214 |
1,750 | $84,860 | $158,530 | $194,340 | $230,220 | 1.67x |
| 55 | Physician offices NAICS 6211 |
3,300 | $101,510 | $157,020 | $184,540 | $221,360 | 1.67x |
| 56 | Grantmaking foundations NAICS 8132 |
1,220 | $98,000 | $154,750 | $199,230 | $247,970 | 1.72x |
| 57 | Local government (excl. schools, hospitals) OEWS code 999300 |
15,050 | $95,400 | $139,920 | $171,210 | $204,670 | 1.44x |
| 58 | Colleges and universities NAICS 6113 |
17,160 | $86,290 | $135,590 | $170,520 | $216,350 | 1.58x |
| 59 | State government (excl. schools, hospitals) OEWS code 999200 |
9,510 | $96,410 | $133,570 | $150,000 | $166,460 | 1.42x |
| 60 | Building equipment contractors NAICS 2382 |
2,070 | $87,130 | $129,890 | $166,400 | $210,530 | 1.40x |
| 61 | Hotels and motels NAICS 7211 |
1,130 | $83,160 | $126,860 | $166,010 | $205,610 | 1.62x |
| 62 | Junior colleges NAICS 6112 |
2,530 | $79,860 | $123,750 | $146,110 | $179,630 | 1.45x |
| 63 | K-12 schools NAICS 6111 |
8,670 | $80,390 | $122,000 | $148,490 | $179,750 | 1.43x |
| 64 | Individual and family services NAICS 6241 |
1,240 | $76,190 | $121,560 | $163,850 | $203,710 | 1.54x |
What federal contracts and federal jobs pay IT managers
GSA contract rates for IT management labor
GSA’s CALC+ database lists the ceiling hourly rates contractors may bill the government. We pulled 4,056 unique rates for manager and director keywords and classified 3,897 information technology categories by title. The “IT manager” family bills a median $165.04 an hour, 2.0 times the BLS median wage, because a billing rate also covers benefits, overhead and profit.
| Labor category family | Rates | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT director | 44 | $187.16 | $221.16 | $260.63 |
| IT program manager | 1,000 | $152.82 | $181.30 | $217.99 |
| IT manager | 585 | $131.94 | $165.04 | $205.36 |
| IT project manager | 1,615 | $128.93 | $155.02 | $183.36 |
| Network or systems manager | 220 | $116.71 | $142.82 | $181.67 |
| Help desk or service desk manager | 417 | $95.74 | $115.56 | $144.08 |
Source: GSA CALC+ ceiling rates API, current-year price, retrieved October 2026. Too few to rank: chief information or technology officer (16 rates, median $184.35).
Federal IT supervisors (GS-2210)
OPM’s August 2026 workforce file codes each federal IT specialist (series 2210) by supervisory status. 13,745 hold supervisor, manager or management official positions; OPM redacts pay for 53% of them. For the 6,286 full-time supervisors with published pay, the median is $186,207, against $142,084 for nonsupervisory IT specialists, and 26% are paid exactly $197,200, the 2026 rate limit at Executive Schedule level IV.
| Grade | Supervisors | Median | Nonsupervisory | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-12 | 131 | $113,348 | 6,629 | $116,071 |
| GS-13 | 553 | $138,024 | 10,693 | $144,659 |
| GS-14 | 2,149 | $167,902 | 7,780 | $172,700 |
| GS-15 | 2,086 | $197,200 | 1,038 | $197,200 |
Source: OPM Federal Workforce Data, employment file for August 2026; adjusted basic pay including locality, full-time, published pay only. Supervisory = OPM statuses “supervisor or manager,” “supervisor (CSRA)” and “management official (CSRA)”; team leaders are counted as nonsupervisory.
Job outlook
BLS projects computer and information systems manager employment to grow 15.8% from 2025 to 2035, about 108,100 jobs, with 53,500 openings a year once retirements and job changes are counted. Over the same decade BLS projects systems administrator jobs to fall 4.1% and help desk jobs to fall 3.5%. For the network side of the same teams, see our network engineer salary report.
What this means for MSPs
Use the bottom of the range for a first promotion. The IT manager 10th percentile ($107,550) is already $8,420 above the median systems administrator. When a senior technician moves into a service delivery or team lead seat, the 10th to 25th percentile band ($107,550 to $138,060) is the realistic anchor, not the $175,140 median; BLS lists five or more years of related experience as typical just to enter the occupation.
Your clients’ IT managers may out-earn yours. Computer systems design firms pay a $179,510 median, 22nd of 64 industries, while software publishers, securities firms and research labs pay more. When an MSP competes with a client’s in-house team for a manager, the client’s industry column in the table above is the better benchmark.
Price vCIO and management time from the wage, not the contract rate. The median IT manager wage is $84.20 an hour; GSA ceiling rates for IT manager categories run $131.94 to $205.36 at the 25th and 75th percentiles. The difference covers benefits, overhead and margin, so build fractional management prices from your own loaded cost and check them against that range.
Frequently asked questions
What does an IT manager earn?
The median computer and information systems manager, the BLS occupation for IT managers, earned $175,140 a year ($84.20 an hour) in May 2025. The mean was $192,160. Half earned between $138,060 and $220,730, and the top tenth earned $297,510 or more.
How much does an IT manager make per hour?
The BLS median is $84.20 an hour, about $14,595 a month. The 10th percentile is $51.71 an hour and the 90th is $143.03. BLS converts between hourly and annual pay at 2,080 hours a year.
What is the entry level IT manager salary?
BLS does not report pay by experience. The 10th percentile, $107,550, and the 25th, $138,060, are the closest guide for a first management role. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree and 5 years or more of related work experience as typical for entry, so even the bottom of this range is a step up from staff roles: the IT manager 10th percentile is above the median systems administrator ($99,130).
How much do senior IT managers and IT directors make?
BLS does not separate seniority, but the top of the distribution shows where senior roles sit: the 75th percentile is $220,730 and the 90th $297,510. In 49 of 64 industries with at least 1,000 IT managers, the 90th percentile is above $239,200, led by web search portals and info services at $371,350.
Which IT job has the highest salary?
Compared with all 15 detailed computer occupations in the BLS national file, computer and information systems managers have the highest median, $175,140. The highest-paid non-management computer occupation is computer and information research scientists at $140,300.
How much does an IT manager make in Texas?
Texas IT managers earned a $171,530 median in May 2025 (16th of 51 states and DC), with a 90th percentile of $277,160. Texas prices are 97.1% of the national level, so the cost-adjusted median is $176,731, 14th after adjustment. In the Dallas-Fort Worth metro the median is $173,810.
Methodology
Sources. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 and May 2024: national, state, metropolitan area, national industry (sector, 3-digit and 4-digit NAICS) and national ownership files, downloaded October 2026. BEA Regional Price Parities by state and by metro area, all items, 2024. BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035, Table 1.2. GSA CALC+ ceiling rates API. OPM Federal Workforce Data employment file for August 2026. The 2018 SOC direct match title file and the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, used to state which job titles fall under the code.
Definitions. “IT manager salary” means OEWS wages for computer and information systems managers (SOC 11-3021). OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay including incentive pay; they exclude overtime, nonproduction bonuses, stock and employer-paid benefits, which matters most at the top of the range. Annual figures are hourly rates times 2,080 hours. Cost-adjusted pay is the median divided by the 2024 Regional Price Parity over 100. The manager premium compares occupation medians; BLS does not link managers to their reports.
Top-coding. Through May 2024, OEWS showed any percentile at or above $115.00 an hour or $239,200 a year only as a footnote (the May 2024 national 90th percentile for this occupation is that footnote). The BLS OEWS FAQ states that beginning with the May 2025 estimates, BLS publishes specific values for many such percentiles. No May 2025 estimate for this occupation in any file we used carries the footnote, but percentiles above $239,200 rest on the open-ended top wage interval and are less precise than lower ones.
Contract rates. We queried CALC+ for 17 manager and director keywords, removed duplicates, kept Information Technology categories, dropped audit titles, and assigned each title to one family by the first matching pattern in this order: CIO or CTO, IT director, help desk or service desk manager, program manager, project manager, IT manager (including “computer and information systems manager”), network or systems manager. Families with fewer than 30 rates are not ranked.
Limitations. OEWS does not report experience, team size, job titles or remote status, and suppresses estimates that miss its reliability standards. Federal pay excludes redacted records, which fall mostly on defense agencies. Not advice: these are labor market statistics, not a compensation recommendation for any role.
Cite as:The Uptime Report. "IT Manager Salary 2026: A $175,140 Median, and BLS Now Shows the Top 10% Start at $297,510." October 2026. https://theuptimereport.com/it-manager-salary-2026/
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS tables and special request files (oesm25nat, oesm25st, oesm25ma, oesm25in4, oesm24nat). Accessed October 2026.
- BLS, OEWS frequently asked questions (changes to wage data processing, May 2025). Accessed October 2026.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer and Information Systems Managers. Accessed October 2026.
- BLS Employment Projections, occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025 to 2035. Accessed October 2026.
- BLS, 2018 SOC direct match title file. Accessed October 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (SARPP) and by metropolitan area (MARPP), 2008 to 2024. Accessed October 2026.
- U.S. General Services Administration, CALC+ labor rates (API: api.gsa.gov/acquisition/calc/v3). Accessed October 2026.
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Workforce Data downloads (employment, August 2026). Accessed October 2026.
- OPM, 2026 General Schedule locality table, Washington-Baltimore (EX-IV rate limit note). Accessed October 2026.
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