Chief information officer
Also known as: CIO, IT director, chief information officers
About this occupation
Chief information officers define and implement the ICT strategy and governance. They determine necessary resources for the ICT strategy implementation, anticipate ICT market evolutions and company business needs. They contribute to the development of the organisation's strategic plan and ensure that the ICT infrastructure supports the organisation's overall operations and priorities.
Essential skills and knowledge
- maintain plan for continuity of operations
- manage software releases
- optimise choice of ICT solution
- ensure adherence to organisational ICT standards
- utilise decision support system
- define technology strategy
- systems development life-cycle
- market analysis
- implement corporate governance
- forecast future ICT network needs
- monitor technology trends
- decision support systems
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Computer and Information Systems Managers (O*NET 11-3021.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- 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.
- Typical education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Preparation
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- Interests
- Conventional, Enterprising, Investigative
Top skills: Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making
US median pay: US$175,140 a year (2025), 670,570 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsExtremely important (4.8)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementVery important (3.7)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.5)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.2)
- Design and TechnologyO*NET: Design + Engineering and TechnologyImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Project Management Specialists
- Software Developers
- Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
- Management Analysts
- Information Technology Project Managers
- Database Architects
- Computer Network Architects
- Information Security Engineers
- Database Administrators
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.