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The differences between instructional technology specialists and instructional design consultants 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 technology specialist and an instructional design consultant. Additionally, an instructional design consultant has an average salary of $70,045, which is higher than the $43,402 average annual salary of an instructional technology specialist.
The top three skills for an instructional technology specialist include classroom management, instructional technology and curriculum development. The most important skills for an instructional design consultant are instructional design, subject matter experts, and elearning.
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Instructional Design Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $43,402 | $70,045 |
| Hourly rate | $20.87 | $33.68 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 61,365 | 47,057 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An instructional technology specialist is an expert who is responsible for creating and developing software applications and modern technology. They usually create and develop training materials and teach students how they can install and use various computer applications and other related technologies. Typically, this career is for someone who has extensive knowledge in the information technologies, knows how to resolve technical issues a computer or device usually encounters, and has experience with computer programs and languages.
An instructional design consultant is responsible for assisting, developing, and managing instructional material and plans with other professionals such as programmers, web developers, and teachers in IT. They usually collaborate, coordinate, and interact with the aforementioned professionals to develop a program design to enhance their expertise and learning experiences. Also, they must research electronic learning, run usability tests, find learning objectives for a particular project, and do a content development review and analysis.
Instructional technology specialists and instructional design consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Instructional Design Consultant | |
| Average salary | $43,402 | $70,045 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $62,000 | Between $51,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Smith College | Qualtrics |
| Best paying industry | Education | Energy |
There are a few differences between an instructional technology specialist and an instructional design consultant in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Instructional Design Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Elementary Education | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between instructional technology specialists' and instructional design consultants' demographics:
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Instructional Design Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.4% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |