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The differences between course instructors and programming specialists 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 instructor and a programming specialist. Additionally, a programming specialist has an average salary of $55,521, which is higher than the $49,389 average annual salary of a course instructor.
The top three skills for a course instructor include course curriculum, syllabus and course materials. The most important skills for a programming specialist are social work, customer service, and veterans.
| Course Instructor | Programming Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,389 | $55,521 |
| Hourly rate | $23.74 | $26.69 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 28,255 | 39,636 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A course instructor typically works at a school or other instructional institution. Besides teaching, they are primarily responsible for developing syllabi, creating learning materials, creating lesson plans, creating coursework, administering examinations, grading, and monitoring the students' progress. Additionally, a course instructor may organize seminars for their students and invite guest speakers to provide additional insights.
A programming specialist is responsible for the overall planning and supervising of programs, mostly in a non-profit organization. It is a programming specialist's job to allocate and manage the budget, hire staff, train volunteers, and ensure that goals are met. It is also their duty to devise strategies and come up with materials that would raise awareness for the program and its cause. Furthermore, a programming specialist is in charge of reaching out to people who will be a valuable asset for the program, such as speakers and educators.
Course instructors and programming specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Course Instructor | Programming Specialist | |
| Average salary | $49,389 | $55,521 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $77,000 | Between $35,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Jacobs Engineering Group | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a course instructor and a programming specialist in terms of educational background:
| Course Instructor | Programming Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between course instructors' and programming specialists' demographics:
| Course Instructor | Programming Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9% | Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |