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What is a curriculum director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Debbie Azevedo Ed.D.
The average curriculum director salary is $64,446. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an education major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a curriculum director. Curriculum directors with a Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 14,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a curriculum director?

Debbie Azevedo Ed.D.

Assistant Professor of Practice, Website

Curriculum and Instruction graduates should embrace technology and stay current with educational trends. The educational field is constantly changing, and graduates can keep up with the latest research and educational technology by attending conferences, subscribing to journals, and attending professional development. Being up to date on the latest educational technology can support graduates in enhancing their learning and streamlining curriculum development.
ScoreCurriculum DirectorUS Average
Salary
5.0

Avg. Salary $64,446

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%

Asian 4.36%

Black or African American 11.61%

Hispanic or Latino 14.25%

Unknown 4.00%

White 65.09%

Gender

female 71.26%

male 28.74%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Curriculum director career paths

Key steps to become a curriculum director

  1. Explore curriculum director education requirements

    Most common curriculum director degrees

    Bachelor's

    55.1 %

    Master's

    27.7 %

    Associate

    8.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific curriculum director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Classroom Management16.11%
    Curriculum Development9.60%
    Professional Development Workshops6.20%
    K-126.07%
    Mathematics5.25%
  3. Complete relevant curriculum director training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New curriculum directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a curriculum director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real curriculum director resumes.
  4. Research curriculum director duties and responsibilities

    • Assist in maintaining DOD certification and assist in achieving and retaining national accreditation.
    • Create and deliver differentiate instruction for ESL students at the school.
    • Increase state assessment (FCAT) mathematics scores by one grade level by implementing effective research-base math programs and data-driven meetings.
    • Provide course instruction for advance anatomy and physiology, medical terminology and HIPAA.
  5. Get curriculum director experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a curriculum director. The most common roles before becoming a curriculum director include teacher, principal team lead and lead teacher.
  6. Prepare your curriculum director resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your curriculum director resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a curriculum director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable curriculum director resume templates

    Build a professional curriculum director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your curriculum director resume.
    Curriculum Director Resume
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    Curriculum Director Resume
    Curriculum Director Resume
    Curriculum Director Resume
    Curriculum Director Resume
    Curriculum Director Resume
    Curriculum Director Resume
  7. Apply for curriculum director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a curriculum director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first curriculum director job

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Average curriculum director salary

The average curriculum director salary in the United States is $64,446 per year or $31 per hour. Curriculum director salaries range between $45,000 and $91,000 per year.

Average curriculum director salary
$64,446 Yearly
$30.98 hourly

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How do curriculum directors rate their job?

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Curriculum director reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

My passion to help other teachers and leaders become aware how our worl is changing everyday. I am a positive agent of change and has 10+ experience with an excellent professional and education background to be a great fit for this position.

Cons

I do not like when teachers feel the tracing is repetitive and does not participate or actively engage in the activities that can address their instructional practices and strategies.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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