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CIO pay appears to have risen alongside the role’s expanding business responsibilities, but the available figures are not directly comparable. A 2024 estimate from Janco’s CEO put median CIO salaries at $196,000 at large enterprises and about $176,000 at midsize organizations. The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics benchmark is a May 2025 median wage of $175,140 for a broader occupation that includes some CIOs—not a CIO-only salary measure.
What the available salary figures show
The figures below describe different populations and types of evidence. Janco CEO Victor Janulaitis’s CIO-specific estimates were reported in a 2024 CIO feature; BLS figures cover computer and information systems managers across the United States.
| Measure | Figure | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Median CIO salary at large enterprises | $196,000 | Janulaitis’s estimate, reported by CIO in 2024; he said the figure was well over $250,000 at Fortune 50 companies. |
| Median CIO salary at midsize organizations | About $176,000 | Janulaitis’s estimate, reported by CIO in 2024. |
| Average CIO compensation growth at large organizations | 7.48% over the preceding year | Janulaitis’s estimate, reported by CIO in 2024. |
| Average CIO compensation growth at midsize organizations | 9% over the preceding year | Janulaitis’s estimate, reported by CIO in 2024. |
| Median annual wage for computer and information systems managers | $175,140 in May 2025 | BLS U.S. occupational wage estimate; the category includes some CIOs but is broader than the CIO role. |
| Mean annual wage for computer and information systems managers | $192,160 in May 2025 | BLS U.S. occupational wage estimate for the broader occupation. |
The Janco figures are estimates attributed to Janulaitis, not official government statistics. The 2024 feature does not disclose a full sample design for those estimates, so they should not be treated as a representative, CIO-wide survey. BLS is an official benchmark, but it is not a direct update to Janco’s CIO-only estimates. The BLS wage table also reports 670,570 people employed in the broader occupation in May 2025.
Sources: CIO’s 2024 feature, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook and May 2025 occupational wage table.
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Why the CIO role has gained prominence
CIOs may lead technology strategy, digital transformation and decisions that affect operations across a business. Foundry’s 2026 State of the CIO survey summary reports that 84% of CIO respondents said their role had become more digital and innovation-focused, while 82% reported greater involvement in leading digital transformation initiatives than their business counterparts. The summary is based on responses from 662 heads of IT and 249 line-of-business respondents.
Those findings describe reported role changes; they do not establish that broader responsibilities caused salary increases. Pay also reflects factors such as organization scale, industry, geography and the specific remit of the job.
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Sources: Foundry’s 2026 State of the CIO.
What can change a CIO’s compensation
Organization size and business complexity
Janco’s 2024 estimates distinguish large from midsize organizations, with higher reported median salary at large enterprises. The feature also notes substantially higher pay at Fortune 50 companies. These estimates suggest scale can matter, but they do not establish a universal premium for every large employer.
Scope and influence
A CIO accountable for enterprise-wide strategy and transformation may have a different remit from an IT leader whose role is narrower. When comparing jobs, look at decision authority, reporting relationships, budget responsibility, and whether the CIO leads changes across business units—not just the title.
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Industry and location
Employer demand and pay vary by market. BLS publishes industry, state and metropolitan-area wage data for the broader occupation; those comparisons can provide local context, but they still do not isolate CIOs.
Compare total compensation, not just base salary
A salary figure can mean base pay, annual cash compensation or a broader package. The 2024 CIO feature describes packages that may also include equity or stock options, relocation expenses, hiring bonuses and retirement benefits. Before comparing figures or offers, establish which components are counted and over what period.
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- Base salary: recurring fixed pay, separate from bonuses and equity.
- Annual cash compensation: base pay plus any cash bonus or incentive included in the stated figure.
- Equity or long-term incentives: note the award value, vesting schedule and whether the comparison counts grant value or realized proceeds.
- Other benefits: identify items such as relocation support and retirement contributions rather than assuming they are included.
The source’s package examples are not a standardized list of what every CIO receives. Ask how each component is valued and whether it recurs; a one-time hiring bonus, for example, is not equivalent to recurring salary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to use these benchmarks when assessing an offer
- Match the role. Check that the comparison is for a CIO with similar enterprise-wide responsibilities rather than a broader IT-management category.
- Match the employer context. Compare organization size, industry and geography, and note where the available benchmark does not provide a like-for-like breakdown.
- Separate pay components. Put base salary, recurring cash incentives, equity and one-time benefits in separate columns.
- Label the evidence and date. Keep Janco’s interview-attributed 2024 estimates distinct from BLS’s May 2025 occupation-wide wage statistics.
- Compare the whole package and remit. Consider the value and timing of compensation alongside the scope, authority and expectations of the role.
What the figures cannot tell you
The published evidence here does not provide a current CIO-only benchmark with a disclosed methodology that can be compared directly across employers. Janco’s figures are useful as attributed estimates from the 2024 feature, while BLS provides a newer official reference for a wider occupational group. Neither alone determines what a particular CIO role should pay.
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