What it takes to become a C-level tech exec in Seattle

They’re the C-level execs. The CEOs. The CFOs. Or CIOs. Whatever you call them, they are the chief officers. And the tech industry has plenty of them. But Seattle’s brand of chiefs have one unique trait in common: time.

Related: Why tech workers make/save more in Seattle than elsewhere

If there is one standout factor among Seattle’s tech chiefs (and Portland’s, to be fair), it’s that they have more experience, on average, than their counterparts in other tech hubs. C-level execs in Seattle and Portland are tied as having about 8.8 years of experience in the tech industry, according to career website Paysa. Boston is trailing at 8.5 years. Atlanta, Denver, and Fort Worth each have about 8.4 years.

That’s more time than the industry average of 7 years. It’s important to note, however, that the 8.8 years does not account for the chiefs’ time in the general workforce, which can be much longer.

C-level execs

Paysa’s analysis revealed a few common traits in the tech industry among the higher ups.

• 34 percent of C-level execs in Seattle have 20+ years in the workforce (32 percent in Portland).

• On average, tech chiefs in Seattle and Portland have 3 years at C-level.

• 78 percent of Seattle tech chiefs are male (82 percent in Portland).

• 22 percent of Seattle tech chiefs have a master’s degree (15 percent in Portland).

• Education among tech chiefs industry-wide is primarily at the bachelor’s degree level. The percentage varies depending on the company size or department, but bachelor’s degrees generally exceed those with masters degrees or a Ph.D. For companies with 51-100 employees, 56.3 percent of chiefs had bachelor’s degrees; 37 percent had masters; and 6.7 percent had a Ph.D.

• Portland was also among the cities with the most experienced tech directors at 8.3 years. But it was far from the top cities: Columbia, Ohio and Sarasota, Fla. with 9.2 years.

• Palo Alto, Calif. and Baltimore, MD have the least experienced tech chiefs with 6.1 years in the industry.

• Chiefs and tech directors list management and leadership skills among their traits. However, chiefs have an edge over other management with startup experience on their resumes. The same goes for strategy and software development experience.

• Women C-level execs spend more years in the workforce before making chief. And they are more prevalent in certain corners of the tech realm: 12.5 percent of IT chiefs are female;  13.8 percent are in “other online business”; 9.6 percent work in security networking/hardware development; and 8.4 percent of female chiefs are in software development.

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