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How to hire an instructional design manager

Instructional design manager hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring instructional design managers in the United States:

  • There are currently 54,668 instructional design managers in the US, as well as 44,475 job openings.
  • Instructional design managers are in the highest demand in New York, NY, with 11 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire an instructional design manager is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new instructional design manager to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an instructional design manager, step by step

To hire an instructional design manager, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an instructional design manager, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step instructional design manager hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an instructional design manager job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new instructional design manager
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an instructional design manager do?

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.

Learn more about the specifics of what an instructional design manager does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your instructional design manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an instructional design manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An instructional design manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, instructional design managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    The following list breaks down different types of instructional design managers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Instructional Design ManagerDescriptionHourly rate
    Instructional Design ManagerInstructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, coordinate its implementation with teachers and principals, and assess its effectiveness.$23-43
    Curriculum WriterCurriculum 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... Show more$16-45
    Curriculum CoordinatorA curriculum coordinator facilitates the development and implementation of curriculums at schools, colleges, and other organizations that offer learning services. They primarily assist teachers in improving school curriculums by conducting research and assessments, monitoring students' academic progress, developing learning resources and materials, coordinating with internal and external parties, promoting educational programs, and securing the supplies that the curriculum requires... Show more$16-31
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Subject Matter Experts
    • Project Management
    • Learning Solutions
    • ELearning
    • Training Programs
    • Learning Objectives
    • Instructional Materials
    • Training Materials
    • Blended Learning
    • Development Programs
    • Led Training
    • Course Design
    • Adult Learning Principles
    • Course Content
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Lead and coordinate complex project to design, build, and implement a call library on the SharePoint platform.
    • Manage course developers, vendors, SMEs, and stakeholders to develop a world-wide sales training curriculum and relate courses.
    • Collaborate with executives and SMEs to determine training and performance requirements need to achieve business results.
    • Lead global elearning curriculum redesign and translation project including interface and course design, vendor selection and author and vendor management.
    • Used graphic design skill set to create PowerPoint templates.
    • Position requires application of the ADDIE model for building effective customer training and performance support tools.
    More instructional design manager duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the instructional design manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. An instructional design manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for an instructional design manager in South Carolina may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level instructional design manager. Additionally, an instructional design manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average instructional design manager salary

    $66,959yearly

    $32.19 hourly rate

    Entry-level instructional design manager salary
    $48,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 20, 2026

    Average instructional design manager salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1District of Columbia$88,044$42
    2California$84,019$40
    3New York$83,503$40
    4Washington$78,558$38
    5Pennsylvania$76,498$37
    6Massachusetts$75,288$36
    7Virginia$74,041$36
    8Georgia$72,494$35
    9Minnesota$72,348$35
    10New Jersey$71,551$34
    11Illinois$70,900$34
    12Missouri$70,598$34
    13Colorado$66,265$32
    14New Mexico$65,784$32
    15Texas$65,672$32
    16Maryland$65,458$31
    17Utah$62,918$30
    18Florida$62,210$30
    19North Carolina$61,807$30
    20Wisconsin$60,232$29

    Average instructional design manager salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1DoorDash$128,357$61.7111
    2First Republic Bank$107,593$51.73
    3ServiceNow$107,567$51.716
    4JPMorgan Chase & Co.$94,511$45.44
    5Charles Schwab$84,389$40.57
    6PTC$82,587$39.712
    7Bain & Company$81,731$39.29
    8Asurion$80,932$38.91
    9HCSC$79,420$38.18
    10Boston Consulting Group$79,060$38.01
    11The City University of New York$75,372$36.24
    12New York Institute of Technology$75,343$36.22
    13Webster University$72,651$34.93
    14VitalChek$72,404$34.81
    15Mastech Digital$69,999$33.65
    16WestRock$69,884$33.601
    17Clear Choice Health Care$69,701$33.511
    18Ferring Pharmaceuticals$69,490$33.41
    19U.S. Bank$68,718$33.045
    20Edinboro University$68,664$33.01
  4. Writing an instructional design manager job description

    An instructional design manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an instructional design manager job description:

    Instructional design manager job description example

    • 3 – 5 years of writing experience
    • 2+ years’ experience with instructional design and e-learning software
    • High proficiency and experience in learning, adapting, and implementing style guides to content writing.
    • Strong copywriting and proofreading skills, with astute attention to detail.
    • Proficiency with an LMS platform
    • Solid project management skills including planning cross-functional work, handling timelines, keeping multiple tasks/projects on track, and working to keep stakeholders advised.

    EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

    • Bachelors in related field – Instructional Design, Education/English/Writing/Journalism a plus.
    • Esthetics or Cosmetology license a plus.
    • Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 Suite (Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, Excel, and Outlook)
    • Familiar with eLearning technology (Articulate Suite).
    • Demonstrated project management skills with the ability to maintain work deadlines and execute work projects efficiently.

    OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

    • Exceptional storytelling and writing skills
    • Storyboarding
    • Solutions oriented attitude
    • Excellent at collaborating with cross-functional teams
    • Passion for skincare

    WORKING CONDITIONS:

    This position requires 60% of weekly work schedule at Dermalogica Headquarters in Carson, CA with the option of 30% of weekly work schedule remote.

    Requires the ability to on occasion have a flexible schedule due to special events and project deadlines.

    PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.

    The employee must regularly lift, and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color acuity, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

    Full COVID vaccination required for this position, and proof of vaccination is required prior to start date. Dermalogica, LLC complies with federal, state, and local laws with respect to accommodations to this policy.

    Apply now and become a team member for a company that provides competitive salaries, outstanding benefits including Health Benefits, Monthly Product Allowances, Profit Sharing, Annual Fitness Reimbursement, Domestic Partner Benefits, 401(k) Matching, not to mention a host of other perks!

    To be considered for this role, please click on "Apply Now" and include your resume. Please know that all applications are reviewed for consideration. A member of the Human Resources team will contact you if your experience and skills are a match for the position.

    Dermalogica is an equal opportunity employer that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion.

    #LI-LR1

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right instructional design manager for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your instructional design manager job on Zippia to find and recruit instructional design manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit instructional design managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new instructional design manager

    Once you've selected the best instructional design manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an instructional design manager?

Recruiting instructional design managers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $66,959 per year for an instructional design manager, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for instructional design managers in the US typically range between $23 and $43 an hour.

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