What Is a Management Information System (MIS)? Your Career Guide

A management information system (MIS) is a system that collects a company's data and uses it to make more nimble, informed, and impactful business decisions. It's also an academic discipline you can study if you're interested in this type of work. If you enjoy using technology to solve business problems or answer important business questions, then a career in MIS may be a good fit.

Learn more about the benefits of a management information system, key skills you'll need to succeed, and career paths you can pursue. Afterward, if you're interested in building important business and data skills, consider enrolling in the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate.

What is a management information system (MIS)?

An MIS provides managers with the necessary information to make decisions about a company's operations. The MIS gathers data from various sources (employees, processes, inventory, and more) and analyzes it to provide tailored information to managers and their staff.

For a management information system to be effective, business processes must be carefully mapped out, data must be accurate and timely, and hardware and software must be able to store and manipulate it. A good MIS depends on the people who design, implement, and use it.

While businesses use different types of systems, they all share one common goal: to provide managers with information to make better decisions. In today's fast-paced business environment, having access to accurate and timely information is critical for success. MIS allows managers to track performance indicators, identify trends, and make informed decisions about where to allocate resources.

The importance of MIS for businesses

Management information systems provide businesses with accurate data and powerful analytical tools, which they can use to quickly identify opportunities or problems, and make decisions accordingly. A management information system should do the following:

• Provide you with the information you need to make decisions

• Give you a competitive edge by providing timely, accurate information

• Help you improve operational efficiency and productivity

• Allow you to keep track of customer activity and preferences

• Enable you to develop targeted marketing campaigns and improve customer service

Management information systems vs. computer science

You may notice some overlap between MIS and computer science, but the two disciplines differ in one core detail: perspective. Management information systems (MIS) is the study of how people use technology to manage information. It includes both the hardware and software used to store, process, and retrieve information. Computer science is the study of how computers work. It includes the design and implementation of computer systems.

Key skills for an MIS career

Because MIS professionals often apply technology to business problems, they need a firm understanding of both areas. Some key job skills you can expect to develop as an MIS professional include analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. You'll also need to be able to communicate effectively with other MIS team members and others who use the system.

The technical skills you'll need include:

• Programming

• Databases

• Data warehousing techniques

• Data visualization

• Networks

• Software development

Essential skills you'll need to develop to advance to management include:  

• Understanding the role of information systems in organizations

• Expertise with various information systems concepts and tools

• Analyzing business problems and identifying potential solutions using information systems

• Designing, implementing, and evaluating information systems solutions for business problems

• An understanding of the ethical, legal, and regulatory implications of information systems

MIS salary and job outlook

Over 65 percent of management information system managers hold a bachelor's degree, according to Zippia [1]. Some common majors in this field include management information system (MIS), computer science, data science, or business.

As an MIS professional, you can expec to earn a high salary. MIS professionals tend to be some of the highest-paid employees in many organizations. The median annual salary for MIS managers is $169,510, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [2]. It is also an in-demand field, given that the growth rate is 17 percent (much higher than the average for all jobs) [2].

5 career paths in management information systems

Building experience and skills in MIS may look like starting in an entry-level role in data, software development, or business. Some common job titles include junior data analyst, software developer, and business development associate. You can also work as an IT consultant, helping companies implement and use new technologies, or as a project manager, overseeing the implementation of systems within an organization.

With a few years of experience, here are general paths you can follow as you advance in MIS:  

*Average annual base salary is sourced from Glassdoor as of December 2024*

1. IT manager

Average annual base salary (US): $110,080

IT managers help businesses by advising them on using information technology to achieve their goals. An IT manager will understand business and technology and bridge the gap between the two.

2. Information systems manager

Average annual base salary (US): $131,587

Information systems managers are responsible for keeping an organization’s information system technology running optimally. This includes ensuring that systems are secure, efficient, and effective. They typically oversee a team of information system professionals and make sure users have high-quality support. 

3. Business intelligence analyst

Average annual base salary (US): $100,946

Business intelligence analysts help organizations improve performance by analyzing their business processes and recommending solutions. Analysts typically have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to understand the needs of different areas of the business.

4. Systems/software developer

Average annual base salary (US): $103,014 

Systems and software developers design, develop, and maintain software applications. This type of developer must be good at coding and have strong technical skills for this role. This role requires knowledge of programming languages to perform everyday tasks.

5. Web developer

Average annual base salary (US): $82,031

Web developers create websites and web applications to access management information systems. Having strong technical skills like programming may be helpful to being a good web developer. Web developers typically have a clear understanding of business processes to gather the functional and testing requirements for front-end systems.

Benefits of a career in management information systems

Here are some potential benefits of this career path: 

• Demand for trained professionals: The market for management information systems (MIS) professionals will likely grow, driven by trends with the internet of things (IoT), data science practices, artificial intelligence, and other new and emerging technologies.

• Job satisfaction: MIS professionals often report high levels of job satisfaction. The reason for such appeal includes challenging work, an opportunity to use creativity, and a chance to make a significant impact for an organization.

• The opportunity for creativity and innovation: As an MIS professional, you’ll likely have the chance to be creative and innovative. You can develop new ways to use information technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your organization.

• The ability to make an impact: MIS professionals have the ability to make a significant impact on their organizations. If you work in this field, your impact can help improve customer service, increase sales, and reduce costs.

Start or advance your MIS career with Coursera.

There are many ways to build or advance your MIS knowledge and skill set on Coursera. We've outlined a few options below:

• Become more comfortable with the subject through the University of Minnesota's Information​ ​Systems Specialization.

• Build important data skills in SQL queries, relational databases, data gathering and cleaning, data warehousing, and data analysis with the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate.

• Advance your data skills for business needs with the Google Business Intelligence Professional Certificate. Over three courses, you'll learn how to create dashboards that effectively communicate data insights to stakeholders.