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The differences between curriculum developers and instructional technology 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 curriculum developer and an instructional technology specialist. Additionally, a curriculum developer has an average salary of $53,226, which is higher than the $43,402 average annual salary of an instructional technology specialist.
The top three skills for a curriculum developer include instructional design, curriculum development and training materials. The most important skills for an instructional technology specialist are classroom management, instructional technology, and curriculum development.
| Curriculum Developer | Instructional Technology Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,226 | $43,402 |
| Hourly rate | $25.59 | $20.87 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 73,274 | 61,365 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A curriculum developer is responsible for managing instructional materials, providing recommendations to the teachers, and making adjustments to the current student's curriculum to adhere to the highest educational standards and policies. Curriculum developers also facilitate and offer assistance for any implemented procedures. They also manage and address concerns regarding the learning standards and consider recommendations for curriculum improvement. A curriculum developer must have extensive knowledge of the education system to plan out the necessary teachers' training and coaching.
An instructional technology specialist is an expert who is responsible for creating and developing software applications and modern technology. They usually create and develop training materials and teach students how they can install and use various computer applications and other related technologies. Typically, this career is for someone who has extensive knowledge in the information technologies, knows how to resolve technical issues a computer or device usually encounters, and has experience with computer programs and languages.
Curriculum developers and instructional technology specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Curriculum Developer | Instructional Technology Specialist | |
| Average salary | $53,226 | $43,402 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $78,000 | Between $29,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | Smith College | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a curriculum developer and an instructional technology specialist in terms of educational background:
| Curriculum Developer | Instructional Technology Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Elementary Education |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between curriculum developers' and instructional technology specialists' demographics:
| Curriculum Developer | Instructional Technology Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.5% Female, 53.5% | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 5.5% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |