Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between instructional systems 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 systems specialist and a senior instructional designer. Additionally, a senior instructional designer has an average salary of $68,140, which is higher than the $53,853 average annual salary of an instructional systems specialist.
The top three skills for an instructional systems specialist include instructional materials, learning objectives and training programs. The most important skills for a senior instructional designer are instructional design, subject matter experts, and project management.
| Instructional Systems Specialist | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,853 | $68,140 |
| Hourly rate | $25.89 | $32.76 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 65,859 | 47,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An instructional systems specialist is responsible for creating instructional materials and coordinating educational content. Typical duties include developing educational and training programs, developing cooperative and constructive working relationships with others, and developing plans and goals to organize and prioritize your work. As an instructional systems specialist, you will guide, direct, and motivate your subordinates and set performance standards. You are also expected to assist students in achieving their academic goals and provide technical expertise on the application and interpretation of automation training standards.
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 systems specialists and senior instructional designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Systems Specialist | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Average salary | $53,853 | $68,140 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $74,000 | Between $49,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Newtown, CT |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Department of Homeland Security | Algolia |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instructional systems specialist and a senior instructional designer in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Systems Specialist | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between instructional systems specialists' and senior instructional designers' demographics:
| Instructional Systems Specialist | Senior Instructional Designer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.0% Female, 46.0% | Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.0% 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% |