ATLIS’s latest benchmarking report offers valuable insight into the role of technology leaders and how they’re being compensated

DATA YOU NEED

Just as you have all been hard at work taking your schools into the future, ATLIS, along with California-based firm Ed Tech Recruiting, has been diligently gathering data that will inform important discussions among leadership at independent schools.

The 2021 Compensation Benchmark Report for Technology Leaders in Schools is ATLIS’s latest resource that aims to be a starting point for technology leaders to better understand the market surrounding compensation and benefits.

“As we continue to grow ATLIS into a more diverse, future-focused organization, offering valuable resources to our people will always be a huge focus,” said ATLIS Executive Director Christina Lewellen. “This year’s report provides especially vital data that reflects the true significance [of the] technology leader’s role during a pandemic year.”

Key Findings

Based on online survey responses from 313 participants last fall, the report’s findings are key to assessing compensation both now and in the future. Several demographics were considered and contributed to the following notable results.

Speaking to the report’s purpose, Gabe Lucas, principal of Ed Tech Recruiting and co-founder of ATLIS, put it clearly. “The best thing to do is to use the data as a trigger to reflect and analyze how you align with the market,” he said. “Your conclusion an’t be an automatic demand for an immediate raise; that is rarely well received. But this report can help heads of school, business officers, and tech officers get on the same page by sparking authentic conversations about salary trends and equitable compensation. Avoid personalizing the conversation too much. Rather, your goal should be to help your school’s leadership team recognize that external hires almost always demand higher salaries, so it would be in everyone’s best interest for the school to not lose quality talent.”

TEAM SUPERVISION

The first key finding in the report is the correlation between salary and how many direct reports participants have. As outlined in Figure 1, in 2019, the steady trend was that the more direct reports a respondent had, the higher the salary. But in looking at 2020, those numbers were a bit skewed, made apparent by the significantly lower salaries for those with 10 to 20 direct reports than those with five to nine direct reports.

Also intriguing are the higher salaries in 2020 for participants with either zero or one to four direct reports. As all schools experienced challenges, those with thinner technology teams generally compensated their technology supervisors more in 2020 than in 2019. That trend reverses for those with five to nine direct reports, then reverses once more, upward, in the 21-plus direct reports group.

• Data systems (e.g., database administration, content management system, learning management system, student information system) Help desk services

• Help desk services

• Communications and marketing (e.g., website, social media)

• Academic technology (e.g., faculty training, tech integration, instructional design, blended/online learning)

• Technology classes for students

• Library department

• Computer science department

• Maker program and/or maker lab

• Robotics program

• Design or innovation program and/or lab

• Assistive technology

• Registrar services

• Audiovisual services

• Data analytics

• Clerical/reception

Compare the data in Figure 4 (2019 data) and Figure 5 (2020 data). While the average salary in 2020 increased by nearly $4,000, the number of essential job functions did not necessarily indicate a higher average salary.

This analysis will offer insight into the pandemic’s true impact on compensation versus responsibilities. Will average salary compared to responsibilities return to pre-pandemic levels, or will technology leaders continue to not experience salary adjustments that correspond with additional responsibilities? Time will tell as data is gathered in the coming years.

Moving Forward

From Lucas’s perspective, he hopes that expanded involvement in future surveys can shed even more light on the complexity of determining fair compensation for the technology leader role. “As much insight as this survey provides, each case is so situational. Two directors of tech could have the same title at peer schools, but their jobs could be defined completely differently,” he said. “I just hope more people continue to participate; it’s an important service to the community, and each data point illuminates a different and unique situation. If you want to help future directors receive fair and equitable compensation, please support these efforts and inspire others to do the same.”

Lewellen, too, encourages ATLIS members to get involved and to utilize every resource available to spark often difficult discussions. “While the summary of our report in this issue of Access Points highlights many valuable key metrics,” she said, “it’s up to technology leaders to take action and leverage this data—and everything else available to them through ATLIS and other resources—to start those necessary conversations around their roles, responsibilities, and compensation.”

ATLIS’s 2021 Compensation Benchmark Report for Technology Leaders in Schools is available to members, nonmembers, and any other party interested in learning more about compensation in this field. For more information or to access the full report, visit theatlis.org/2021-atlis-compensation-benchmark-report.

How does this information compare to your experience? Be sure to share your thoughts on the article below.

Let us know what data would be helpful for you in the 2021-2022 survey!