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The differences between curriculum developers and senior instructional designers 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 a senior instructional designer. Additionally, a senior instructional designer has an average salary of $68,140, which is higher than the $53,226 average annual salary of a curriculum developer.
The top three skills for a curriculum developer include instructional design, curriculum development and training materials. The most important skills for a senior instructional designer are instructional design, subject matter experts, and project management.
| Curriculum Developer | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,226 | $68,140 |
| Hourly rate | $25.59 | $32.76 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 73,274 | 47,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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.
A senior instructional designer specializes in developing instructional and educational materials for a specific group of individuals, including children and adults. Their duties involve working together with the clients in identifying project needs and requirements, collaborating with experts, conducting research and assessments, utilizing theories and other studies in developing instructional materials, and subjecting the materials into different inspections to ensure quality and accuracy. Additionally, a senior instructional designer must utilize their expertise and experience by training and supervising junior designers while implementing policies and regulations.
Curriculum developers and senior instructional designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Curriculum Developer | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Average salary | $53,226 | $68,140 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $78,000 | Between $49,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Newtown, CT |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Algolia | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a curriculum developer and a senior instructional designer in terms of educational background:
| Curriculum Developer | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between curriculum developers' and senior instructional designers' demographics:
| Curriculum Developer | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.5% Female, 53.5% | Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 5.5% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |