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The differences between course developers and content developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a course developer and a content developer. Additionally, a course developer has an average salary of $92,160, which is higher than the $72,030 average annual salary of a content developer.
The top three skills for a course developer include instructional design, course content and course materials. The most important skills for a content developer are content development, digital marketing, and subject matter experts.
| Course Developer | Content Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,160 | $72,030 |
| Hourly rate | $44.31 | $34.63 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 13% |
| Number of jobs | 75,889 | 82,250 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A course developer specializes in developing and implementing course plans for educational programs. They are responsible for conducting industry research, conducting skills assessments to identify a company's training needs, creating plans and strategies, establishing timelines, developing programs, and securing supplies. Additionally, they must monitor the progress of a company's educational programs to make adjustments as needed.
A content developer is responsible for creating digital content, designing technical deliverables, and developing content strategies by analyzing current market trends to attract clients, driving more revenues, and increasing the company's profitability. Content developers also manage the distribution of the contents, following the clients' specifications or the business requirements. They also coordinate with other project teams to ensure the effectiveness and accuracy of the contents, focusing on its appeal to the target audience. A content developer must have a keen eye for details, especially on doing quality content checks before publishing.
Course developers and content developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Course Developer | Content Developer | |
| Average salary | $92,160 | $72,030 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $128,000 | Between $51,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Udacity | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Internet |
There are a few differences between a course developer and a content developer in terms of educational background:
| Course Developer | Content Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | English |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between course developers' and content developers' demographics:
| Course Developer | Content Developer | |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% | Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 12.9% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 9% |