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The differences between instructional systems designers 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 systems designer and a curriculum developer. Additionally, an instructional systems designer has an average salary of $65,907, which is higher than the $53,226 average annual salary of a curriculum developer.
The top three skills for an instructional systems designer include subject matter experts, instructional design and smes. The most important skills for a curriculum developer are instructional design, curriculum development, and training materials.
| Instructional Systems Designer | Curriculum Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $65,907 | $53,226 |
| Hourly rate | $31.69 | $25.59 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 104,993 | 73,274 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An instructional systems designer specializes in developing training solutions in adherence to the objectives of a program or project. Their responsibilities include identifying the needs of projects and programs, performing extensive research and analysis, gathering and analyzing existing systems' data to identify their strengths and weaknesses, studying feedback from various parties, and developing test structures. Moreover, an instructional systems designer must maintain an active communication line with the instructional systems team, coordinating while adhering to 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 systems designers and curriculum developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Systems Designer | Curriculum Developer | |
| Average salary | $65,907 | $53,226 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $93,000 | Between $36,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Parsons | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instructional systems designer and a curriculum developer in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Systems Designer | Curriculum Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between instructional systems designers' and curriculum developers' demographics:
| Instructional Systems Designer | Curriculum Developer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.6% Female, 35.4% | Male, 46.5% Female, 53.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.7% 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% |