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The differences between instructional technology specialists and instructional design managers 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 manager. Additionally, an instructional design manager has an average salary of $66,959, 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 manager are subject matter experts, project management, and learning solutions.
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $43,402 | $66,959 |
| Hourly rate | $20.87 | $32.19 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 61,365 | 44,475 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 manager is an executive professional who manages a team of instructional designers to handle and completes a project efficiently and effectively. This manager must design strategies and uses various instructional tools effectively to evaluate instructional design solutions that offer quality to achieve the desired business impact. The manager must try to identify problematic issues related to the project and recommends effective solutions to solve the said issues. Instructional design manager must also develop the details of their project plans as well as work within the assigned budget.
Instructional technology specialists and instructional design managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Average salary | $43,402 | $66,959 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $62,000 | Between $48,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Smith College | DoorDash |
| Best paying industry | Education | Energy |
There are a few differences between an instructional technology specialist and an instructional design manager in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Elementary Education | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between instructional technology specialists' and instructional design managers' demographics:
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Instructional Design Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 5.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |