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The differences between curriculum specialists and instructional design managers 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 specialist and an instructional design manager. Additionally, an instructional design manager has an average salary of $66,959, which is higher than the $50,949 average annual salary of a curriculum specialist.
The top three skills for a curriculum specialist include math, curriculum development and K-12. The most important skills for an instructional design manager are subject matter experts, project management, and learning solutions.
| Curriculum Specialist | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $50,949 | $66,959 |
| Hourly rate | $24.49 | $32.19 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 1,583 | 44,475 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The primary job of curriculum specialists is to develop, assess, and improve curricula and instruction. They are responsible for guiding teachers on their teaching methods, conducting research and making recommendations for improvements, and evaluating existing curricula alongside teachers and administrators. A curriculum specialist is expected to assist in creating and revising instructional materials, analyzing student data, and evaluating and improving the utilization of classroom materials. You are also responsible for finding appropriate curricula and textbooks to improve the student body's learning outcomes.
An instructional design manager is an executive professional who manages a team of instructional designers to handle and completes a project efficiently and effectively. This manager must design strategies and uses various instructional tools effectively to evaluate instructional design solutions that offer quality to achieve the desired business impact. The manager must try to identify problematic issues related to the project and recommends effective solutions to solve the said issues. Instructional design manager must also develop the details of their project plans as well as work within the assigned budget.
Curriculum specialists and instructional design managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Curriculum Specialist | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Average salary | $50,949 | $66,959 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $70,000 | Between $48,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | AARP | DoorDash |
| Best paying industry | Education | Energy |
There are a few differences between a curriculum specialist and an instructional design manager in terms of educational background:
| Curriculum Specialist | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Elementary Education | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between curriculum specialists' and instructional design managers' demographics:
| Curriculum Specialist | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 5.4% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 5.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |