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The differences between instructional design specialists and senior instructional designers 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 senior instructional designer. Additionally, a senior instructional designer has an average salary of $68,140, which is higher than the $54,282 average annual salary of an instructional design specialist.
The top three skills for an instructional design specialist include instructional design, subject matter experts and powerpoint. The most important skills for a senior instructional designer are instructional design, subject matter experts, and project management.
| Instructional Design Specialist | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $54,282 | $68,140 |
| Hourly rate | $26.10 | $32.76 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 44,814 | 47,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 senior instructional designer specializes in developing instructional and educational materials for a specific group of individuals, including children and adults. Their duties involve working together with the clients in identifying project needs and requirements, collaborating with experts, conducting research and assessments, utilizing theories and other studies in developing instructional materials, and subjecting the materials into different inspections to ensure quality and accuracy. Additionally, a senior instructional designer must utilize their expertise and experience by training and supervising junior designers while implementing policies and regulations.
Instructional design specialists and senior instructional designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Design Specialist | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Average salary | $54,282 | $68,140 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $74,000 | Between $49,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Newtown, CT |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Baker Hughes | Algolia |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instructional design specialist and a senior instructional designer in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Design Specialist | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between instructional design specialists' and senior instructional designers' demographics:
| Instructional Design Specialist | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% | Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3% |
| 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, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 5.5% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |