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What is an instructional design consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Robin Cormier

An Instructional Design Consultant collaborates with teachers and programmers to develop training plans and enhance the learning experience. They are tasked with redesigning courses, developing entire courses or curriculums, and designing training materials, such as teaching manuals, student guides, learning objectives, researching e-Learning options, and developing usability tests.

To become an Instructional Design Consultant, you must possess a bachelor's or master's degree. However, some companies will hire you without a degree if you have prior designing experiences and creativity.

The graduates who gravitate towards this field end up laying claim to annual earnings at $75,464. The current median pay for an Instructional Design Consultant ranges from $73,744 to $83,473 in the U.S. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience, skills, or organization.

What general advice would you give to an instructional design consultant?

Robin Cormier

Assistant Professor, Montana State University - Billings

While college graduates begin to launch their careers, they also face uncertainty about job opportunities. This can be a daunting time in their life. First and foremost, they should be proud of their achievements. There are many steps they can take to prepare for a future career, such as developing a network and building a strong resume. However, in my opinion, the most important advice I would offer new graduates is to pursue their passion. When you are passionate about your career, your life is more fulfilling, and you are more determined to achieve success. Passion shows through how you communicate, develop working relationships, and your level of career investment.
ScoreInstructional Design ConsultantUS Average
Salary
5.5

Avg. Salary $70,045

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.9

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.74%

Asian 5.45%

Black or African American 9.97%

Hispanic or Latino 16.74%

Unknown 4.22%

White 62.87%

Gender

female 61.65%

male 38.35%

Age - 44
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 - 44
Stress level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Instructional design consultant career paths

Key steps to become an instructional design consultant

  1. Explore instructional design consultant education requirements

    Most common instructional design consultant degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.1 %

    Master's

    24.0 %

    Associate

    6.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific instructional design consultant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Instructional Design10.72%
    Subject Matter Experts8.08%
    ELearning5.55%
    Project Management4.89%
    SMEs4.58%
  3. Complete relevant instructional design consultant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New instructional design consultants 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 an instructional design consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real instructional design consultant resumes.
  4. Research instructional design consultant duties and responsibilities

    • Manage CBT and ILT course documents using SharePoint.
    • Manage a repository on SharePoint of all assign training modules and supporting documentation of recent updates and changes to material.
    • Develop and implement leader-led and online training programs, introducing new learning methods and growing eLearning market.
    • Create and facilitate effective wrap-around or stand-alone ILT curricula.
  5. Prepare your instructional design consultant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your instructional design consultant 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 an instructional design consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable instructional design consultant resume templates

    Build a professional instructional design consultant 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 instructional design consultant resume.
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
    Instructional Design Consultant Resume
  6. Apply for instructional design consultant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an instructional design consultant 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 instructional design consultant job

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Average instructional design consultant salary

The average instructional design consultant salary in the United States is $70,045 per year or $34 per hour. Instructional design consultant salaries range between $51,000 and $95,000 per year.

Average instructional design consultant salary
$70,045 Yearly
$33.68 hourly

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How do instructional design consultants rate their job?

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Instructional design consultant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Cons

It needs more patience to apply the true solution and satisfy your client


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

Sharing your experience for the benefit of others. Making the learners feel enriched with their take always from your session. Are able to execute and apply their learnings, successfully.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Watching team members light bulbs turn on after training. Knowing they are armed with the tools to be a great employee after my class.


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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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