How to hire an instructional technology specialist

How to hire an instructional technology specialist, step by step

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

What does an instructional technology specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The instructional technology specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 technology specialist 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 technology specialist that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of instructional technology specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Instructional Technology Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Instructional Technology Specialist	Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, coordinate its implementation with teachers and principals, and assess its effectiveness.	$13-29
   Curriculum Writer	Curriculum writers are professionals who are responsible for developing new academic instructional materials, lessons, and activities to be used by teachers or instructional staff from school districts, media companies, and other businesses. These writers are required to conduct professional development sessions for all staff about the design and changes in the new curriculum... Show more	$16-45
   Curriculum Coordinator	A curriculum coordinator facilitates the development and implementation of curriculums at schools, colleges, and other organizations that offer learning services. They primarily assist teachers in improving school curriculums by conducting research and assessments, monitoring students' academic progress, developing learning resources and materials, coordinating with internal and external parties, promoting educational programs, and securing the supplies that the curriculum requires... Show more	$16-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Classroom Management
   • Instructional Technology
   • Curriculum Development
   • Student Learning
   • Math
   • Mathematics
   • Learning Management System
   • Instructional Support
   • Educational Technology
   • Instructional Strategies
   • Technical Support
   • Student Achievement
   • Instructional Design
   • Staff Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Integrate curriculum and diverse learning strategies into computer lab teaching sessions, managing rotating teacher/class schedule.
   • Used XML for data exchange.
   • Provide training for students and faculty k-12.
   • Train staff on database structure and reports.
   • Verify java and xpath query code is correct.4.
   • Monitor and assist students with ESL lab activities.

   More instructional technology specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your instructional technology specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An instructional technology specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, instructional technology specialists' average salary in montana is 54% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level instructional technology specialists 53% less than senior-level instructional technology specialists.
   • Certifications. An instructional technology specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an instructional technology specialist's salary.

   Average instructional technology specialist salary

   $43,402yearly

   $20.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level instructional technology specialist salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average instructional technology specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$64,288	$31
   2	New York	$58,046	$28
   3	Virginia	$52,893	$25
   4	Delaware	$51,238	$25
   5	Minnesota	$49,287	$24
   6	Michigan	$48,734	$23
   7	Illinois	$48,249	$23
   8	Massachusetts	$48,178	$23
   9	Washington	$47,924	$23
   10	Alaska	$47,879	$23
   11	California	$46,978	$23
   12	Pennsylvania	$44,049	$21
   13	North Carolina	$42,880	$21
   14	Rhode Island	$42,853	$21
   15	New Hampshire	$42,782	$21
   16	Colorado	$42,499	$20
   17	Idaho	$41,987	$20
   18	Tennessee	$41,875	$20
   19	North Dakota	$41,638	$20
   20	Texas	$40,093	$19

   Average instructional technology specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Smith College	$65,690	$31.58
   2	Portland State University	$62,024	$29.82
   3	Cornell University	$61,541	$29.59	5
   4	University of Illinois Springfield	$60,661	$29.16
   5	Newton Public Schools	$59,836	$28.77	2
   6	Moraine Park Technical College	$59,636	$28.67
   7	State University of New York College at Cortland	$57,737	$27.76	2
   8	Michigan State University	$57,398	$27.60
   9	Copper Mountain Community College	$55,768	$26.81
   10	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$54,430	$26.17	10
   11	New River Community and Technical College	$53,764	$25.85	2
   12	COMPTON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT	$53,483	$25.71	6
   13	Dallas College	$52,786	$25.38
   14	Education Affiliates	$52,170	$25.08
   15	Raytheon Technologies	$51,750	$24.88	6
   16	Evolent Health	$51,322	$24.67
   17	Idaho State University	$50,655	$24.35
   18	King's Ridge Christian School	$49,179	$23.64
   19	Arcadia University	$48,923	$23.52
   20	Broward County Public Schools	$48,850	$23.49

4. Writing an instructional technology specialist job description

   An instructional technology specialist 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. Below, you can find an example of an instructional technology specialist job description:

   Instructional technology specialist job description example

   LMI is seeking an Instructional Specialist at our headquarters office in McLean, VA. This position will support NASA's workforce experience activities for students grades K-16 with a STEM focus.
   
   LMI is a consultancy dedicated to powering a future-ready, high-performing government, drawing from expertise in digital and analytic solutions, logistics, and management advisory services. We deliver integrated capabilities that incorporate emerging technologies and are tailored to customers' unique mission needs, backed by objective research and data analysis. Founded in 1961 to help the Department of Defense resolve complex logistics management challenges, LMI continues to enable growth and transformation, enhance operational readiness and resiliency, and ensure mission success for federal civilian and defense agencies.
   
   LMI has been named a 2022 #TopWorkplace in the United States by Top Workplaces! We are honored to be recognized as a company that values a people-centered culture, and we are grateful to our employees for making this possible!
   Responsibilities
   
   * Design and execute professional development opportunities for interns and fellows to increase understanding, competence, skills, and effectiveness in the mentor relationship.
   * Design and execute professional development for mentors and stakeholders to increase professional understanding, competence, skill, and effectiveness in mentorship.
   * Design learning objectives, plans, methods, strategies, etc.
   * Create iterative design and development plan that ensures all required design, technology, graphics, and other creative elements are organized and reviewed.
   * Design and develop instructor-led, self-paced, blended or web-based training to be delivered via a virtual platform such as Zoom, Adobe Connect, or WebEx, etc.
   * Coordinate the inputs of multiple team members and client stakeholders and incorporate feedback and updates to learning programs in a timely manner.
   * Test all training materials and collateral for 508 compliance.
   * Perform quality control checks on a continuous basis and provide feedback to appropriate team members for necessary improvements.
   * Develop training evaluation plans and strategies to measure program effectiveness.
   * Design training implementation plans for roll-out of programs to intended audiences; assist with roll-out as requested.
   
   Qualifications
   
   * B.A. or B.S. degree
   * 3 years of work experience
   * Ability to develop a variety of written and presentation-based work products and deliverables
   * Ability to work in a team-based environment
   * Ability to travel to and work on client sites as needed
   * Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and SharePoint
   * Excellent analytical, problem solving, and presentation skills
   * Excellent customer relationship management skills
   * This position requires an active security clearance at the Secret level. You must be a US citizen.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right instructional technology specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting instructional technology specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 technology specialist

   Once you've found the instructional technology specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new instructional technology specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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