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The differences between curriculum writers 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 writer and an instructional design manager. Additionally, an instructional design manager has an average salary of $66,959, which is higher than the $57,563 average annual salary of a curriculum writer.
The top three skills for a curriculum writer include curriculum development, assessment items and student achievement. The most important skills for an instructional design manager are subject matter experts, project management, and learning solutions.
| Curriculum Writer | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $57,563 | $66,959 |
| Hourly rate | $27.67 | $32.19 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 11,540 | 44,475 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Curriculum writers are professionals who are responsible for developing new academic instructional materials, lessons, and activities to be used by teachers or instructional staff from school districts, media companies, and other businesses. These writers are required to conduct professional development sessions for all staff about the design and changes in the new curriculum. They must produce instructional videos to help educators and coaches in preparing educational and instructional materials. Curriculum writers must also head a pilot project to evaluate potential opportunities for extended learning through virtual classroom and distance learning strategies.
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 writers and instructional design managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Curriculum Writer | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Average salary | $57,563 | $66,959 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $94,000 | Between $48,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | - | DoorDash |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a curriculum writer and an instructional design manager in terms of educational background:
| Curriculum Writer | 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 writers' and instructional design managers' demographics:
| Curriculum Writer | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 61.4% 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% |