Chief information officers · the career path
How to become a CIO
The short answer · updated
Most chief information officers (CIOs) come up through IT leadership: running infrastructure, applications, service delivery or security, then an IT director or head of IT seat. The step to CIO is business ownership: the technology strategy, the budget, the suppliers, cyber risk and advising the board. No single qualification is required.
The usual route into the CIO seat
Most CIOs start in a technical or service role: infrastructure, applications, service desk, architecture or security. They move into management by running a team, then a function, then the whole of IT as head of IT or IT director. The CIO title usually comes with a seat at the leadership table.
Other senior technology roles lead there too. The government’s Digital and Data Capability Framework lists chief data officer, chief technology officer and chief information security officer as roles that could lead to its chief digital and information officer role, the public-sector equivalent of the CIO.
Some CIOs come from outside IT altogether: from operations, finance or a consulting career in technology change. What they share is experience of leading large changes to how a business runs. Our page on what a CIO does sets out the role you are working towards.
The skills the CIO seat asks for
The framework describes the role as shaping and enabling the organisation’s strategy through digital, data and technology. It lists what the seat asks of you:
- leading strategy and keeping pace with changes in digital, data and technology;
- making sure the organisation stays safe, secure and resilient to cyber threats and attacks;
- negotiating and securing investment, and advising on priorities between competing demands;
- overseeing the delivery and maintenance of digital services that meet user needs;
- making sure the organisation has the specialist skills it needs;
- being a trusted adviser to the board on all matters of digital, data and technology.
Qualifications and professional bodies
No qualification is required to be a CIO. Security certifications are a common choice, because cyber risk is where boards press hard. ISC2 lists the chief information officer among the roles that earn its CISSP, and ISACA’s CISM covers information security governance, risk management, the security programme and incident management. ISACA’s CISA covers IT audit, and ISO 27001 lead implementer or lead auditor training covers the information security management standard.
For delivery, PRINCE2 is a common project management qualification. For the business side, some CIOs hold an MBA. Neither is required.
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is the professional body. Its chartered registration assesses both competence and conduct, and asks for continuing professional development. SFIA’s levels of responsibility are a useful yardstick for the step up: the top level describes setting organisational vision and strategy and taking accountability for overall success.
Cyber risk and the board
A CIO spends much of the job helping the board govern technology risk. The government’s Cyber Governance Code of Practice sets out the governance actions directors are responsible for, and is designed for medium and large organisations. The NCSC’s Cyber Security Toolkit for Boards helps boards put the Code into practice.
Learn to explain risk in the board’s terms: what could fail, what it would cost the business, and what investment reduces it. That is the conversation that separates a CIO from a head of IT.
If you are appointed to the board, you take on a director’s legal duties. Companies House guidance sets out the general duties under the Companies Act 2006, and says they still apply to someone who acts as a director without being formally appointed.
Interim and fractional CIO work
Interim work is one route to the CIO title. An interim CIO works full-time for a fixed period, to cover a departure, lead a programme or steady a failing function. See our interim CIO jobs. A fractional CIO works part of the week, often for a smaller business that needs CIO judgement without a full-time seat; see fractional CIO jobs.
Interim and fractional CIOs often work through their own company, so the off-payroll working rules (IR35) may apply. IR35 is decided by how each engagement runs in practice, and a medium or large client makes the determination. Our IR35 guide sets out the tests.
What a CIO earns
Pay moves with the size and sector of the organisation, the scale of the estate and the team, and whether the role carries a board seat. A permanent CIO is paid a salary; an interim or fractional CIO a day rate.
We do not publish a figure on this page. Our CIO salary page sets out permanent and fractional pay, each figure with its source, and our fractional CIO cost page covers day rates.
How companies hire a CIO
Expect to be tested on changes you have led, not on technology alone: a programme you delivered, a supplier you replaced, an incident you handled and what the board learned from it. Bring the numbers that were yours to report, and be ready to say what went wrong.
Our CIO headhunter page sets out how companies hire a CIO through us. We recruit fractional, interim, part-time, temporary and permanent executives. Every brief gets a shortlist of 3–5, each with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out, after the five-stage vetting we describe.
Questions people ask
Do you need a degree to become a CIO?
No degree is required. Many CIOs hold one, in computing or in another subject, but boards look first at the IT functions and changes you have led. Some CIOs come from operations, finance or consulting.
What certifications help a CIO?
Security certifications are a common choice: CISSP, CISM, CISA and ISO 27001 lead implementer or auditor training. PRINCE2 and an MBA also appear. None is required. BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, offers chartered registration.
What is the difference between a CIO and a CTO?
The CIO runs the technology the organisation uses: systems, data, infrastructure and IT suppliers. The CTO sets the technical direction of what the organisation builds and sells. See what a CIO does for more.
Can an IT director become a CIO?
Yes. IT director is a usual step before CIO. The move usually comes with broader scope: owning the technology strategy and budget, and advising the leadership team and the board rather than running IT operations alone.
Is interim work a good route to becoming a CIO?
It can be. Interim CIO roles give experience of the full seat for a fixed period, often in a turnaround or a major programme. See our interim CIO jobs.
How much does a CIO earn?
It depends on the organisation’s size, sector and scope. Our CIO salary page sets out sourced figures. We set out pay or day rate for every candidate on a shortlist.
