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The differences between instructional design specialists and curriculum developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an instructional design specialist and a curriculum developer. Additionally, an instructional design specialist has an average salary of $54,282, which is higher than the $53,226 average annual salary of a curriculum developer.
The top three skills for an instructional design specialist include instructional design, subject matter experts and powerpoint. The most important skills for a curriculum developer are instructional design, curriculum development, and training materials.
| Instructional Design Specialist | Curriculum Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $54,282 | $53,226 |
| Hourly rate | $26.10 | $25.59 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 44,814 | 73,274 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An instructional design specialist is responsible for developing instructional materials mainly used for training and education. Among their responsibilities include identifying and understanding the program or project's needs, performing extensive research and analysis, consulting with experts, devising training and assessment plans, and ensuring that all instructional materials adhere to a program or project's objectives. Moreover, as an instructional design specialist, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A curriculum developer is responsible for managing instructional materials, providing recommendations to the teachers, and making adjustments to the current student's curriculum to adhere to the highest educational standards and policies. Curriculum developers also facilitate and offer assistance for any implemented procedures. They also manage and address concerns regarding the learning standards and consider recommendations for curriculum improvement. A curriculum developer must have extensive knowledge of the education system to plan out the necessary teachers' training and coaching.
Instructional design specialists and curriculum developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Design Specialist | Curriculum Developer | |
| Average salary | $54,282 | $53,226 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $74,000 | Between $36,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Baker Hughes | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instructional design specialist and a curriculum developer in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Design Specialist | Curriculum Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between instructional design specialists' and curriculum developers' demographics:
| Instructional Design Specialist | Curriculum Developer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% | Male, 46.5% Female, 53.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.5% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 5.5% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |