Higher education IT employees tend to be paid pretty well, but a host of factors contribute to the determination of how well they are paid. Generally speaking, one's age, education level, experience in higher education, the IT sector in which one works, the type of institution at which one works, and organizational position (staff, manager, or CIO) will affect how much someone gets paid. In specific cases, more discrete predictors such as cabinet-level positions for CIOs, number of direct reports for managers, and gender for staff will shape salary. Many of the factors we identify are actionable (one can change institutions, positions, sectors, organizational levels, education levels) and afford agency to the higher education IT employee; other demographic characteristics are somewhat more fixed and difficult to address. For example, generational differences in salary persist for managers and staff but are less likely due to systematic discrimination against Gen Xers and Millennials than to some aspect of experience and wisdom that come with age. However, if evidence indicated that Millennial staff were systematically paid less because of their age, then we would recommend a corrective similar to the one we suggest for guaranteeing equal pay for equal work between men and women. Certainly, a lot more research can and should be done to explain the variability in salary for which our research does not account. But, given what we know about higher education IT workforce salaries, we are confident in the recommendations we offer to employees who want to maximize compensation.

• Higher education IT departments need to perform a systematic and thorough audit of staff salaries to correct for gender-based wage imbalances. Work closely with HR to determine the best approach for rendering salary adjustments to equalize pay for men and women performing the same roles. Furthermore, take steps to guarantee that equitable salaries are established at the point of hire, as lower starting salaries may result in a lifetime of lower compensation rates and retirement benefits. Establishing equitable compensation packages may generate longer-term benefits such as boosted employee morale and increased retention by signaling to the workforce the organization's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• CIOs who want to improve their salary may need to consider leaving their current institution. Since the significant determinants of CIO salary are few and the CIO position resides at the top of the IT organization chart, the options for bringing home more bacon are limited—finding a new position at another institution, perhaps one that has established the CIO as a cabinet-level position, might be the best option for many. A CIO could also lobby to have one's current position approved for a seat on the president's or the chancellor's cabinet (and request a commensurate bump in pay).
• Managers who seek to increase their salaries should consider finding a position at a doctoral institution, take steps to develop the requisite skills and knowledge to move into a more lucrative IT sector, or earn a degree beyond their current level of education. The paths managers choose to increase their earning power are highly individualized, depend on one's threshold of tolerance for disrupting family life (e.g., moving away for a job at another institution), and/or require patience in realizing a higher salary (e.g., earning a PhD over the course of several years).
• To increase their salaries, IT staff should consider developing a skill and knowledge set that would allow them to move to an IT sector that pays better than their current one, earn a degree higher than their current one, or move to another institution. A strategy that incorporates several of these efforts may help chart a career path that not only leads to salary increases as a staff member but also allows one to move up the pecking order of IT organizations. For example, completing coursework toward a degree may increase opportunities to switch IT sectors, which may in turn lead to management or executive opportunities at one's current or another institution.