How to hire an instructional design specialist

How to hire an instructional design specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step instructional design specialist 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 specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new instructional design specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an instructional design specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an instructional design specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect instructional design specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of instructional design specialists.

   Type of Instructional Design Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Instructional Design Specialist	Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, coordinate its implementation with teachers and principals, and assess its effectiveness.	$18-35
   Curriculum Writer	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... Show more	$16-45
   Curriculum Coordinator	A 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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Instructional Design
   • Subject Matter Experts
   • PowerPoint
   • Training Programs
   • Learning Management System
   • Training Materials
   • Project Management
   • ELearning
   • Course Content
   • Blended Learning
   • Learning Objectives
   • Articulate Storyline
   • Curriculum Development
   • Camtasia

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design instructor lead, virtual, and SCORM compliant web base training for a 300 seat inbound customer care department.
   • Create PowerPoint training with handouts for small classroom workshops.
   • Lead ISS for revision and development of database lesson plans.
   • Create media for online courses using Camtasia and in-house storyboarding tool.
   • Create, fix, and maintain SharePoint wikis for the WSLN training department.
   • Conduct train-the-trainer classes for courseware developers on the use of Camtasia and the video development process.

   More instructional design specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your instructional design specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An instructional design specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an instructional design specialist in Indiana may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level instructional design specialist usually earns less than a senior-level instructional design specialist. Additionally, an instructional design specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average instructional design specialist salary

   $54,282yearly

   $26.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level instructional design specialist salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average instructional design specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$70,628	$34
   2	Connecticut	$70,541	$34
   3	Massachusetts	$69,901	$34
   4	New York	$67,878	$33
   5	Minnesota	$64,151	$31
   6	Maryland	$63,634	$31
   7	Oregon	$63,602	$31
   8	Washington	$63,248	$30
   9	Michigan	$60,073	$29
   10	Illinois	$58,875	$28
   11	California	$57,690	$28
   12	Alabama	$55,610	$27
   13	Nebraska	$55,152	$27
   14	Texas	$54,450	$26
   15	Wisconsin	$52,189	$25
   16	Colorado	$52,079	$25
   17	Florida	$51,737	$25
   18	Iowa	$50,109	$24
   19	Arkansas	$48,814	$23
   20	Georgia	$48,601	$23

   Average instructional design specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Baker Hughes	$85,405	$41.06
   2	Halliburton	$82,394	$39.61
   3	AbbVie	$75,552	$36.32	8
   4	Altice USA	$72,610	$34.91	1
   5	Activision Blizzard	$72,580	$34.89	4
   6	University of California-Berkeley	$71,139	$34.20	2
   7	Rutgers University	$69,160	$33.25	10
   8	Columbia University in the City of New York	$67,319	$32.36	1
   9	Clean Harbors	$67,227	$32.32	1
   10	McNichols	$66,641	$32.04
   11	Cenergy International Services	$66,029	$31.74
   12	Community Medical Center	$65,637	$31.56
   13	Mayo Clinic	$65,186	$31.34	3
   14	Ellucian	$64,776	$31.14
   15	State University of New York College at Cortland	$63,875	$30.71	2
   16	Strayer University	$63,776	$30.66
   17	Moraine Park Technical College	$63,373	$30.47
   18	Oregon State University	$62,569	$30.08	16
   19	Novant Health	$62,444	$30.02
   20	University of Mississippi	$62,078	$29.85

4. Writing an instructional design specialist job description

   A job description for an instructional design specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an instructional design specialist job description:

   Instructional design specialist job description example

   • Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university; Master’s Degree, preferred
   • Valid state teaching license, required; Administrator and/or Principal License, preferred
   • 3+ years previous experience in an academic coaching role
   • High proficiency of grade-level standards, benchmarks, and curriculum
   • Experience tracking and using data to drive instruction

   AND ARE YOU?

   • Mission-driven toward ambitious goals
   • Able to lead an organization through strategic planning and an implementation process
   • Committed to the potential of urban youth to succeed in rigorous educational settings
   • Entrepreneurial, positive problem solver with the ability to see opportunity in challenges

   WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR- APPLY NOW!

   WHO WE ARE

   At PLA, we share an unwavering belief and passion for educating and empowering scholars from under-served communities driven by our Core Values: children first, respect, determination, continuous improvement, and gratitude. Our approach to leading successful schools builds on over 20 years of experience running educational programs for children, the latest scientific research, and the best practices throughout the nation.

   To create this kind of vibrant learning community, we hire only the best of the best educators & industry leaders and invest heavily in our faculty through ongoing professional development and support. We value people like you, people with a dedication to excellence and a passion for helping all our scholars develop the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to succeed while fueling their aspirations for the future.

   PLA is an equal opportunity employer and participates in E-Verify in all states that require it.

   Please read carefully.

   Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA) is an equal opportunity employer. PLA does not discriminate in employment on account of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, age, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service.

   By completing this application you understand that neither the completion of this application nor any other part of my consideration for employment establishes any obligation for PLA to hire me. If hired, I understand that either PLA or I can terminate my employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and without prior notice. I understand that no representative of PLA has the authority to make any assurance to the contrary.

   You attest by applying to this position that you have given PLA true and complete information on this application. No requested information has been concealed. I authorize PLA to contact references provided for employment reference checks. If any information I have provided is untrue, or if I have concealed material information, I understand that this will constitute cause for the denial of employment or immediate dismissal.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right instructional design specialist 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 specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit instructional design specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting instructional design specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 specialist

   Once you've selected the best instructional design specialist 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new instructional design specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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