Also called: CTO, VP of Engineering
The top technology leader of a company, responsible for its technical strategy and engineering teams.
You decide whether the company should build its own AI models or buy them, present the tech roadmap to the board, and recruit senior engineers. At a startup, you may still write code at midnight.
Highly variable; startup CTOs may take low salary for equity, large-company CTOs earn far more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 15 years after high school. Bachelor's in CS or engineering plus many years of experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration.
Growing much faster than average (about 16% over 10 years). Related BLS computer and information systems managers: 16% (2025-35).
Low risk for 10 years. AI reshapes how software gets built, but setting tech strategy and leading engineers stays executive human work.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, Business, Speech or debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-1021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.