Information technology has spread across the business, and it only stands to grow larger as companies adopt more technology in service of business goals. Here are the best locations, average salaries and popular skills for the top IT executive positions. Credit: Thinkstock Skills and salaries for today’s top IT executive rolesThere are countless roles that fall under the umbrella of IT executive management and it seems each year there’s a new role to fit a new need. With the rise of data, analytics and software services, businesses are stocking up on IT executives to help manage daily technology operations. Read on to discover the average salary, highest paying cities and the most popular skills for the top IT executive jobs currently on the market, according to data from PayScale.Chief information officer (CIO)Image by IDG / Getty ImagesA chief information officer (CIO) oversees enterprise technology, with a focus on maintaining, building, implementing and upgrading a business’s IT systems and practices. National average salary: $155,218 Reported salary range: $90,932 to $247,600 Cities with pay above the national average: Chicago (37%); Atlanta (27%); New York (20%); San Francisco (20%); Dallas (19%); Washington (19%); Houston (19%); Miami (18%); Denver (10%) Popular skills: Strategy, leadership, software development management, strategic planning, budget management Chief technology officer (CTO)Image by IDG / Getty ImagesChief technology officers (CTOs) are tasked with heading the technology department and leading efforts to maintain, improve and expand on enterprise technology. National average salary: $155,939 Reported salary range: $86,215 to $235,433 Cities with pay over national average: Washington (27%); Boston (17%); San Francisco (13%); Denver (10%); Atlanta (8%) Popular skills: Leadership, software architecture, Java, product development, IT management, IT security and infrastructureChief data officer (CDO)Image by IDG / Getty ImagesThere is a growing need for chief data officers (CDOs) now that nearly every business collects, stores and manages some amount of client, customer or internal data. While the data needs for each business or industry will vary, most businesses are turning to data executives to oversee the process. For more on the role and responsibilities of a chief data officer, see “What is a chief data officer? A leader who creates value from all things data.” National average salary: $179,346 Reported salary range: $119,928 to $253,616 Cities with pay over national average: N/A Popular skills: Big data analytics, data management Chief security officer (CSO)Image by IDG / Getty ImagesThe chief security officer (CSO) acts as a liaison between IT and other executives, with a specific focus on security initiatives. The job of a CSO is to keep tabs on current or potential threats whether internal or external and to communicate security needs to other executives. National average salary: $141,119 Reported salary range: $61,704 to $246,949 Cities with pay over national average: N/A Popular skills: IT security and infrastructure, security risk management, security policies and procedures Chief information security officer (CISO)Image by IDG / Getty ImagesNot to be confused with a CSO, the chief information security officer (CISO) of a company is tasked with building, structuring and implementing security programs and initiatives around business objectives. With the rise in cyberattacks and data breaches, some businesses find they need more than one executive to stay on top of security efforts. National average salary: $155,898 Reported salary range: $102,934 to $216,505 Cities with pay over national average: San Francisco (31%); Seattle (24%); New York (20%); Boston (17%); Chicago (16%); Dallas (14%); Atlanta (10%) Popular skills: Security risk management, IT security and infrastructure, security policies and procedures Chief digital officer (CDO)Image by IDG / Getty ImagesChief digital officer (CDO) is a relatively new IT job title, emerging as businesses increasingly rely on data and technology, in particular for digital transformation. As a result, there aren’t as many reported salaries on PayScale, but data from those who have shared suggests it’s a lucrative emerging role in technology. For more on the role and responsibilities of chief digital officers, see “What is a chief digital officer? A digital strategist and evangelist in chief.” National average salary: $205,530 Reported salary range: $84,000 to $491,318 Cities with pay over national average: N/A Popular skills: Big data analytics, data management Vice president of information technologyImage by IDG / Getty ImagesThe vice president of IT is responsible for planning and executing the strategic direction of information technology in a corporate setting. That includes budgeting, developing policies, standardizing IT practices and building objectives for the company’s technological future. National average salary: $147,895 Reported salary range: $98,466 to $196,512 Cities with pay over national average: Washington (25%); San Francisco (20%); Atlanta (18%); Boston (16%); Denver (10%); Minneapolis (7%); Chicago (6%); Los Angeles (4%) Popular skills: Program management, leadership, software architecture, software development, strategic planning, operations management Vice president of analyticsImage by IDG / Getty ImagesBusinesses collect more data than ever, but it’s useless without someone to make sense of client, customer and user data. The vice president of analytics helps develop and lead a corporate strategy around business data analysis. National average salary: $150,304 Reported salary range: $98,688 to $200,286 Cities with pay over national average: New York (8%) and Chicago (6%) Popular skills: Big data analytics, business intelligence, SAS, web analytics, data modeling, SQL Vice president of technologyImage by IDG / Getty ImagesThe vice president of technology focuses solely on the hardware and software used throughout the company, keeping everything up to standards with compliance and security. The role also requires monitoring and updating outdated processes and introducing new technology policies. National average salary: $158,619 Reported salary range: $100,099 to $205,368 Cities with pay over national average: N/A Popular skills: Product development, agile, strategic project management, software development management, strategic planning, software architecture, leadership, people management Vice president of information systems (IS)Image by IDG / Getty ImagesThe vice president of information systems (IS) is responsible for overseeing IT management, working with IT to align business goals and deploy enterprise IS solutions. National average salary: $145,952 Reported salary range: $86,902 to $188,686 Cities with pay over national average: N/A Popular skills: Leadership, strategic planning, IT security and infrastructure, SQL Vice president of software developmentImage by IDG / Getty ImagesResponsible for overseeing software development for internal or external clients, the vice president of software development heads the design, implementation, management and improvement of software products. National average salary: $156,246 Reported salary range: $111,546 to $207,386 Cities with pay over national average: N/A Popular skills: People management, software development management, software architecture Vice president of engineeringImage by IDG / Getty ImagesCoordinating and leading teams on technology projects falls under the scope of the vice president of engineering. They manage budgets, approve purchases, research future technology and determine the necessary resources for any IT project. National average salary: $162,435 Reported salary range: $106,364 to $225,220 Cities with pay over national average: San Jose (36%); Denver (15%); New York (12%); San Francisco (12%); Detroit (10%); Boston (8%); Atlanta (7%); Chicago (2%) Popular skills: UNIX, leadership, product development, budget management, business development, program management, software architecture, software development Vice president of software engineeringImage by IDG / Getty ImagesThe vice president of software engineering has similar duties as the vice president of engineering, but with a focus on computer software. Depending on business goals, some companies may choose to have one or the other, rather than both. National average salary: $171,166 Reported salary range: $120,087 to $225,019 Cities with pay over national average: San Jose (24%); Seattle (5%); San Francisco (5%) Popular skills: Cloud computing, people management, Java, leadership, agile, project management, software development management Vice president of product developmentImage by IDG / Getty ImagesCompanies that develop products for outside clients and customers will typically employ a vice president of product development to help oversee the process. These executives lead projects from start to finish, ensuring that they align with corporate standards and user needs. National average salary: $151,193 Reported salary range: $94,454 to $221,857 Cities with pay over national average: Atlanta (23%); Seattle (23%); Boston (23%); San Francisco (6%) Popular skills: Product management, business development, strategic project management, software development Related content opinion Why all IT talent should be irreplaceable Forget the conventional wisdom about firing irreplaceable employees. Because if your employees aren’t irreplaceable, you’re doing something wrong. By Bob Lewis Oct 03, 2023 5 mins Hiring IT Skills Staff Management case study ConocoPhillips goes global with digital twins Initial forays into using digital twins across its major fields has inspired the multinational hydrocarbon exploration and production company to further adopt the technology across its entire portfolio. 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