Will IT managers be replaced by AI?
Updated
IT managers score 50 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 88%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 6% outright, and 6% stays with people.
- 6% AI can do it
- 88% AI helps
- 6% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 75% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 17 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 15 and leaves 1 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare and review operational reports or project progress reports. AI can draft progress reports from project data for review. | 70% AI can do it |
| Stay abreast of advances in technology. AI summarizes tech news and research rapidly for review. | 65% AI helps |
| Provide users with technical support for computer problems. AI help desk tools resolve much routine user support. | 60% AI helps |
| Review and approve all systems charts and programs prior to their implementation. AI reviews code and charts well; final approval stays accountable. | 50% AI helps |
| Manage backup, security and user help systems. Backups and monitoring are automatable; security decisions stay human. | 50% AI helps |
| Review project plans to plan and coordinate project activity. AI can review plan documents and flag gaps or conflicts. | 45% AI helps |
| Develop and interpret organizational goals, policies, and procedures. AI drafts policies and procedures well; goal setting needs leadership. | 45% AI helps |
| Evaluate the organization's technology use and needs and recommend improvements, such as hardware and software upgrades. AI can benchmark tools and draft upgrade options for review. | 45% AI helps |
| Evaluate data processing proposals to assess project feasibility and requirements. AI can summarize proposals and check feasibility against requirements. | 40% AI helps |
| Control operational budget and expenditures. Spend analysis is AI assisted; budget approvals stay human. | 40% AI helps |
Show the other 7 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Direct daily operations of department, analyzing workflow, establishing priorities, developing standards and setting deadlines. Leadership and priority calls stay human; AI aids workflow analysis. | 35% AI helps |
| Assign and review the work of systems analysts, programmers, and other computer-related workers. Assignments and performance judgment are human; AI can check code. | 35% AI helps |
| Develop computer information resources, providing for data security and control, strategic computing, and disaster recovery. AI drafts security and recovery plans; strategy stays human. | 35% AI helps |
| Consult with users, management, vendors, and technicians to assess computing needs and system requirements. Stakeholder interviews are human; AI can structure requirements notes. | 30% AI helps |
| Purchase necessary equipment. Vendor talks need people; AI helps compare equipment options. | 28% AI helps |
| Recruit, hire, train and supervise staff, or participate in staffing decisions. Interviews, coaching and hiring decisions need people; AI aids screening. | 20% AI helps |
| Meet with department heads, managers, supervisors, vendors, and others, to solicit cooperation and resolve problems. Live negotiation and conflict resolution with people needs human presence. | 10% Needs a person |
How IT managers compare
All occupations (923)
Management (56)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $175,140 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 670,570 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +15.8% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Review AI-drafted project progress reports in Microsoft Project
- Approve systems charts and code before implementation release
- Hold the CISSP certification for security decisions
- Take responsibility for backup and access policies across AWS and Azure
- Negotiate equipment purchases and vendor terms in person
- Coach and hire systems analysts and programmers
Questions about IT managers and AI
Will AI replace IT managers?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, led by progress reports (exposure 70) and technology research (exposure 65). Staffing, vendor negotiation and final approvals stay with people because they need judgment, presence and accountability.
Which tasks is AI taking over for IT managers?
Progress and status reporting is the most exposed task at 70, since AI can draft reports from project data for review. Technical support for computer problems follows at 60, because AI help desk tools resolve much routine user support. Backup and monitoring, at 50, is automatable as well, though security decisions stay with you.
Which tasks stay human for IT managers?
Meeting department heads, managers and vendors to resolve problems has the lowest exposure at 10, since live negotiation and conflict resolution need a person present. Recruiting, hiring and supervising staff scores 20, because interviews, coaching and hiring decisions need people while AI only aids screening. Equipment purchasing at 28 keeps vendor talks human.
How can IT managers stay valuable?
Take responsibility for the accountable decisions, including security calls and final sign-off on charts and code before release. Check every AI-drafted progress report in Microsoft Project before it reaches a client or executive. Move your hours toward vendor negotiation and staff coaching, the tasks scoring 10 and 20 on exposure.
Related jobs
Next steps for IT managers
Check which roles in your team AI can take on
We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first.
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