How to hire an instructional systems designer

How to hire an instructional systems designer, step by step

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

What does an instructional systems designer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your instructional systems designer 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 systems designer 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an instructional systems designer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an instructional systems designer that fits the bill.

   This list presents instructional systems designer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Instructional Systems Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Instructional Systems Designer	Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, coordinate its implementation with teachers and principals, and assess its effectiveness.	$22-44
   Vocational Training Instructor	A vocational training instructor is responsible for teaching students with the subject expertise needed to land a job for a specific industry requirement. Vocational training instructors are the same as regular instructors as they also identify the students' strengths and weaknesses, manage their learning expectations, and develop personalized teaching plans to address difficulties... Show more	$17-41
   Curriculum Developer	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... Show more	$17-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Subject Matter Experts
   • Instructional Design
   • SMEs
   • Instructional Systems
   • ISD
   • Course Content
   • Learning Objectives
   • Addie
   • Training Materials
   • Blended Learning
   • Curriculum Development
   • Training Programs
   • Instructional Materials
   • PowerPoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the company SharePoint and information distribution program.
   • Develop PowerPoint presentations, instructor and student guides, and job aids using ISD methodologies and strategies.
   • Utilize the ADDIE model to design and develop instructional material for training courses according to adult learning principles.
   • Collaborate with SMEs to organize instructional content to support desire learning outcomes.
   • Work collaboratively with SMEs and technical writers to effectively translate aviation procedures into meaningful training materials.
   • Perform market research for new training technologies to ensure compliance with (SCORM) requirements.

   More instructional systems designer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your instructional systems designer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An instructional systems designer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, instructional systems designers' average salary in west virginia is 54% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level instructional systems designers earn 51% less than senior-level instructional systems designers.
   • Certifications. An instructional systems designer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an instructional systems designer's salary.

   Average instructional systems designer salary

   $65,907yearly

   $31.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level instructional systems designer salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average instructional systems designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$89,709	$43
   2	California	$79,140	$38
   3	Nevada	$77,655	$37
   4	Virginia	$76,240	$37
   5	Rhode Island	$74,912	$36
   6	Massachusetts	$74,648	$36
   7	Pennsylvania	$72,134	$35
   8	New Jersey	$70,805	$34
   9	Illinois	$66,020	$32
   10	Colorado	$63,893	$31
   11	Minnesota	$63,365	$30
   12	Texas	$63,212	$30
   13	New Mexico	$61,324	$29
   14	Utah	$60,885	$29
   15	Georgia	$60,646	$29
   16	North Carolina	$60,063	$29
   17	Ohio	$57,839	$28
   18	Oklahoma	$56,988	$27
   19	Missouri	$56,574	$27
   20	Alabama	$54,351	$26

   Average instructional systems designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Parsons	$90,327	$43.43	72
   2	Booz Allen Hamilton	$89,021	$42.80	145
   3	SAIC	$78,398	$37.69	102
   4	Goldbelt Falcon	$74,220	$35.68
   5	TimeClock Plus	$72,793	$35.00
   6	Integration Innovation	$72,743	$34.97	4
   7	BMSX	$72,354	$34.79
   8	NetImpact Strategies	$71,665	$34.45	1
   9	Xylem	$71,635	$34.44	7
   10	JTG	$71,302	$34.28
   11	Trideum	$71,031	$34.15	4
   12	Noblis	$70,601	$33.94	54
   13	Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (finra)	$70,418	$33.85
   14	Mayo Clinic	$69,839	$33.58	16
   15	PeopleTec	$69,626	$33.47	1
   16	Boeing	$69,624	$33.47	270
   17	Logistics Management Institute	$69,380	$33.36	5
   18	Northrop Grumman	$68,178	$32.78	262
   19	CAE	$67,643	$32.52	7
   20	The Greentree Group	$67,194	$32.30

4. Writing an instructional systems designer job description

   An instructional systems designer 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 systems designer job description:

   Instructional systems designer job description example

   • Two to Four (2-4) years of formal education toward a degree from an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be credited towards qualifications or equivalent technical training. (Years of experience may be substituted for formal education.)
   • Experience in public speaking and giving briefings or instruction to groups of ten or more people is a plus.
   • Ability to explain advanced technical concepts to trainees with various degrees of technical knowledge and ability: from end user system operators, Regional Security Officers, who must understand system capabilities and how they can best be employed for the protection of American lives, Classified National Security Information, and US Government Property, to highly technically trained and experienced technicians and Electrical Engineers with years of experience in the installation, programming, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair of Technical Security Systems.
   • Must hold a valid driver's license and be willing and able to drive an official U.S. government van/sedan.

   Security Clearance Secret Company Information

   COVID Policy: Prospective and/or new employees will be required to adhere with OBXtek's COVID-19 policy. Employees working onsite at a customer location must comply with customer COVID-19 policy which may include any or all the following: social distancing, masks, vaccination, mandatory statements regarding one's vaccination status and mandatory testing .

   Headquartered in McLean, Virginia and founded in 2009, OBXtek is a fast-growing leader in the government contracting field. Our mission is Our People…Our Reputation. Our people are trained professionals who enhance our customers' knowledge and innovation using technology, collaboration, and education.

   We offer a robust suite of benefits including comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, matching 401K, paid time off, tuition reimbursement plans and much more.

   As a prime contractor for 93% of our current work, OBXtek pairs lessons learned across disciplines with industry standard quality practices such as CMMI-Dev Level III, ITIL, 6Sigma, PMI, and ISO. Our rapid growth has been recognized by INC500, the Washington Business Journal, and Washington Technology magazine.

   OBXtek is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, gender identity, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or any other classification protected by federal, state or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find instructional systems designers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any instructional systems designers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level instructional systems designers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your instructional systems designer job on Zippia to find and recruit instructional systems designer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with instructional systems designer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 systems designer

   Once you've selected the best instructional systems designer 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 instructional systems designer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 systems designer?