IT Managementat University of California-Santa Cruz
Graduates earn $55,773/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national IT Management average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,027K; scenarios range from $789K to $1,105K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UC Santa Cruz
While UC Santa Cruz sits on the doorstep of Silicon Valley, its unique culture shapes career paths differently than a purely engineering-focused school. The slightly lower early-career earnings often reflect graduates choosing roles at mission-driven startups, mid-sized companies, or even public sector tech jobs over the intense grind of a giant like Google or Apple just over the hill. Your degree blends technical skills with management, preparing you for vital roles like IT project lead or systems administrator, which are less about pure coding and more about making an organization’s technology run smoothly. This program’s strength is its connection to the vibrant Bay Area tech ecosystem, offering abundant internship and networking opportunities. To maximize your return, aggressively pursue those local internships; your real-world experience in the heart of the tech world will be your most valuable asset upon graduation.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UC Santa Cruz's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering IT Management
How UC Santa Cruz stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UC Santa Cruz
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Santa Cruz, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in IT Management offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare IT Management trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about IT Management at UC Santa Cruz
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for IT Management at University of California-Santa Cruz?
This program scores 81/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for IT Management nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.
Will AI replace IT Management careers?
With 68% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $788,873 in decade earnings vs $1,105,434 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.