AI Impacts CIO, CTO, and CAIO Salaries

The strategic importance of technology leadership has never been greater, especially as organizations attempt to tackle information security, artificial intelligence, and cloud transformations. As CEOs push for AI initiatives, CIO, CEO, and CAIO salaries and compensation packages are on the rise.

CIO, CTO, and CAIO positions have become much more important as leadership is starting to look at AI as a way to provide a competitive advantage and improve IT's ROI. However, These C-level executives are also held responsible when AI initiatives don’t pan out.

AI projects are not always as successful as they could be if they don’t have good sponsorship, lack quality data, or are not designed and implemented well. When AI projects are not successful, frustration builds, and the fall guy happens to be the C-level executive in charge. When this individual is replaced it’s with someone who has AI or machine learning experience and knows how to make those initiatives successful. That’s one of the primary drivers of rising compensation levels. 

If you’re a C-level executive who has successfully implemented an AI initiative, recruiters are knocking down your door with bigger and better opportunities.

Salaries are driven higher to recruit and retain these IT Pros. The pay increase varies depending on the size of the organization. CIO compensation increased 7.48% on average among large organizations and 9% among midsize firms in the past year, according to Janulaitis, who bases his research on salary surveys, proprietary data, and recruitment of CIO candidates.

The median pay for a CIO at a large enterprise is $223,528 and that figure is “well over $250,000 at Fortune 50 companies,” he says. The median salary is about $190,765 for CIOs at midsize organizations, according to Janco’s research.

The flip side of the AI equation is true for those terminated C-level executives out of work without AI experience,  taking them anywhere from 90 to 120 days to find a new position.

Janco has talked to many IT Pros who are out of work and have only legacy experience.  They can’t find a job, so they will do contract work, hoping they can find a position — but it’s really hard to find a job as a CTO or CIO if you are not currently in that role says Janulaitis.

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