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The differences between instructional technology specialists and learning specialists 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 a learning specialist. Additionally, a learning specialist has an average salary of $57,035, 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 a learning specialist are customer service, professional development, and project management.
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Learning Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,402 | $57,035 |
| Hourly rate | $20.87 | $27.42 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 61,365 | 38,229 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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.
Learning specialists are highly skilled teachers providing educational support to students who struggle academically at schools. They are responsible for working closely with students and their parents to develop a learning strategy suitable for a student's learning style to improve their grades and academic progress. Other responsibilities of a learning specialist include educating teachers and parents on learning differences, communicating with teachers and parents regularly about a student's progress, and keeping abreast of current teaching methods.
Instructional technology specialists and learning specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Learning Specialist | |
| Average salary | $43,402 | $57,035 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $62,000 | Between $37,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Smith College | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Insurance |
There are a few differences between an instructional technology specialist and a learning specialist in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Learning Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Elementary Education | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between instructional technology specialists' and learning specialists' demographics:
| Instructional Technology Specialist | Learning Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 32.8% Female, 67.2% |
| 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, 11.0% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 12% |