Instructional designer demographics and statistics in the US
Instructional designer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates instructional designer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our instructional designer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about instructional designers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 99,114 instructional designers currently employed in the United States.
- 58.2% of all instructional designers are women, while 41.8% are men.
- The average instructional designer age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of instructional designers is White (62.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.2%), Black or African American (9.9%) and Asian (5.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
- 16% of all instructional designers are LGBT.
- Instructional designers are 36% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Instructional designer demographics by:
Instructional designer gender statistics
58.2% of instructional designers are women and 41.8% of instructional designers are men.
- Female, 58.2%
- Male, 41.8%
Instructional designer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 58.2% |
| Male | 41.8% |
Instructional designer gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$55,627
Female income
$54,510
Instructional designer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in instructional designer positions over time. Currently, 58.2% of instructional designers are female.
Instructional designer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 47.77% | 52.23% |
| 2011 | 53.47% | 46.53% |
| 2012 | 48.74% | 51.26% |
| 2013 | 52.06% | 47.94% |
| 2014 | 51.03% | 48.97% |
| 2015 | 49.23% | 50.77% |
| 2016 | 46.24% | 53.76% |
| 2017 | 45.31% | 54.69% |
| 2018 | 45.63% | 54.37% |
| 2019 | 41.49% | 58.51% |
| 2020 | 42.68% | 57.32% |
| 2021 | 41.81% | 58.19% |
Instructional designer related jobs gender ratio
We compared instructional designers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, agriculture consultant and torque tester have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Toddler Teacher | 4% | 96% |
| Infant Teacher | 5% | 95% |
| Kindergarten Aide | 6% | 94% |
| Instructional Designer | 42% | 58% |
| Certified Performance Technologist | 79% | 21% |
| Torque Tester | 84% | 16% |
| Agriculture Consultant | 84% | 16% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Instructional designer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among instructional designers is White, which makes up 62.3% of all instructional designers. Comparatively, 17.2% of instructional designers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.9% of instructional designers are Black or African American.
- White, 62.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.2%
- Black or African American, 9.9%
- Asian, 5.5%
- Unknown, 4.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Instructional designer race
| Instructional designer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 62.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.2% |
| Black or African American | 9.9% |
| Asian | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 4.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Instructional designer race and ethnicity over time
See how instructional designer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Instructional designer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.42% | 10.07% | 4.41% | 13.34% |
| 2011 | 69.93% | 10.52% | 4.63% | 11.65% |
| 2012 | 70.29% | 10.68% | 3.97% | 12.07% |
| 2013 | 68.31% | 11.67% | 4.68% | 12.50% |
| 2014 | 67.17% | 11.19% | 4.00% | 13.79% |
| 2015 | 65.39% | 11.97% | 5.59% | 14.04% |
| 2016 | 69.09% | 9.57% | 4.50% | 13.97% |
| 2017 | 65.52% | 11.19% | 4.83% | 15.40% |
| 2018 | 66.02% | 10.66% | 4.24% | 14.61% |
| 2019 | 65.61% | 10.00% | 5.45% | 15.91% |
| 2020 | 62.36% | 10.40% | 6.11% | 15.14% |
| 2021 | 62.35% | 9.89% | 5.53% | 17.21% |
Instructional designer wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown instructional designers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian instructional designers have the lowest average salary at $54,518.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $56,799 |
| White | $55,861 |
| Black or African American | $55,651 |
| Asian | $54,518 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $55,331 |
Average instructional designer age
See how the average age of instructional designers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Instructional designer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 46 | |
| White | 42 | 44 |
| Black or African American | 40.5 | 49 |
| Asian | 30 | 40 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38 | 43 |
Instructional designer age breakdown
The average age of instructional designers is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the instructional designer population.
Instructional designer age breakdown
| Instructional Designer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 26% |
| 20-30 years | 10% |
Instructional designer educational attainment
The most common degree for instructional designers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of instructional designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 7%.
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Instructional designers by degree level
| Instructional designer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 63% |
| Master's | 25% |
| Associate | 7% |
| Doctorate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Instructional designer jobs you might like
Instructional designer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, instructional designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $65,915 annually. With a Master's degree, instructional designers earn a median annual income of $63,600 compared to $56,942 for instructional designers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,600 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,942 |
| Doctorate Degree | $65,915 |
Instructional designer employment statistics
Most instructional designers work for a public in the education industry.
Company size where instructional designers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where instructional designers work.
Instructional designer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 7% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 10% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 34% |
| > 10,000 employees | 40% |
Instructional designer jobs by company type
Employees with the instructional designer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most instructional designers prefer to work at public companies over education companies.
Instructional designer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 35% |
| Public | 36% |
| Private | 29% |
| Government | 0% |
Instructional designer jobs by industry
The most common industries for instructional designers are education, technology and professional.
Instructional designer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 28% |
| Fortune 500 | 17% |
| Technology | 12% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Instructional designer turnover and employment statistics
Instructional designer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for instructional designers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Instructional designer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Instructional designer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.66% |
| 2011 | 4.18% |
| 2012 | 4.25% |
| 2013 | 2.95% |
| 2014 | 2.65% |
| 2015 | 2.60% |
| 2016 | 2.14% |
| 2017 | 2.99% |
| 2018 | 2.61% |
| 2019 | 2.88% |
| 2020 | 2.90% |
| 2021 | 3.24% |
Average instructional designer tenure
The average instructional designer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 10,359 instructional designers resumes in Zippia's database.
Instructional designer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 30% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Instructional designer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of instructional designers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Helper Teacher | 6.04% | 78,080 |
| Third Grade Teacher | 9.52% | 57,917 |
| Multimedia Services Coordinator | 10.75% | 63,060 |
| Early Childhood Special Educator | 11.12% | 62,487 |
| Associate Professor | 12.94% | 30,083 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Instructional Designer | 15.92% | - |
Similar instructional designer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Helper Teacher | 6.04% | 78,080 |
| Third Grade Teacher | 9.52% | 57,917 |
| Multimedia Services Coordinator | 10.75% | 63,060 |
| Early Childhood Special Educator | 11.12% | 62,487 |
| Associate Professor | 12.94% | 30,083 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
Foreign languages spoken by instructional designers
The most common foreign language among instructional designers is Spanish at 43.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.1% and Italian is the third-most popular at 5.2%.
- Spanish, 43.3%
- French, 12.1%
- Italian, 5.2%
- German, 4.5%
- Chinese, 4.2%
- Other, 30.7%
Instructional designer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 43.3% |
| French | 12.1% |
| Italian | 5.2% |
| German | 4.5% |
| Chinese | 4.2% |
| Other | 30.7% |
