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Job outlook for media/instructional designers in the United States
Are media/instructional designer jobs in demand?
Media/instructional designer job and salary trends over time
Media/instructional designer jobs over time
Media/instructional designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 115 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 113 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 121 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 122 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 122 | 0.00% |
Average media/instructional designer salary over time
Media/instructional designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $54,449 | $26.18 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $53,154 | $25.55 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $51,379 | $24.70 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $49,676 | $23.88 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $48,594 | $23.36 | +1.6% |
Media/instructional designer jobs by state
Most common states for media/instructional designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 254 | 37% |
| 2 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 504 | 12% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 73 | 12% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 805 | 11% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 769 | 11% |
| 6 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 321 | 10% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 135 | 10% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 102 | 10% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 98 | 10% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 773 | 9% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 51 | 9% |
| 12 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,337 | 8% |
| 13 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,559 | 8% |
| 14 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 843 | 8% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 464 | 8% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 460 | 8% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 443 | 8% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 277 | 8% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 80 | 8% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 63 | 8% |
Media/Instructional Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of media/instructional designer experts
Robert Morris University
University of Akron
Armstrong State University
Illinois State University
Ferris State University
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Highline College
Texas State University
Bowling Green State University
Belmont University
Eastern Illinois University
Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University
Louisiana State University and A&M College
Kansas State University
University of Dubuque
AIGA, the professional association for design
MJSA
Jacksonville State University
MJSA
Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY
What Media/Instructional Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Richard Fuller: Be open to opportunities that will present themselves in Prek-12, higher education or corporate training and development. Many places will see the value in hiring employees with the knowledge and skills that come with a Curriculum and Instruction (C&I;) degree and will create positions accordingly. Most organizations see the value of a training and development department with specific uses. Hospitals, k-12 schools, for profit organizations and nonprofit organization incorporate instructional designers with a curriculum and instruction degree. Even higher education (HE) hire instructional designers to work with faculty. HE faculty are subject matter experts but don’t know about instruction or curriculum or how to teach online or in person f2f. They also don’t understand the value or how to design and develop curriculum and transfer that to the classroom. PreK-12 utilize C&I; grads as both trainers and as coordinators of curriculum. This may require an advanced degree (graduate or doctoral), but nonetheless, it is an opportunity and something to think about as you progress through your career. Training and Development is an obvious opportunity in many corporations and organizations as C&I; prepared graduates have a body of knowledge and skills that align with training needs in designing and delivering training for corporate and organizational initiatives in all areas. There are those with a C&I; degree who also hold teaching certificates in some area of Prek-12. This may open other doors for them in teaching in the classroom but with the degree may present additional opportunities in an organization’s administrative capacity or training.
What will help Media/Instructional Designers increase their earning potential?
David Flynn: We spend our day creating items that need to communicate a message clearly and quickly to a person or public. Information, directions, product benefits, packaging, events, advertising, anything and everything is designed to inform.
What general advice would you give to a Media/Instructional Designer?
Dr. Kymberly Harris PhD: New graduates entering the field of Curriculum & Instruction should prioritize building a diverse skill set, staying current with educational trends, and actively seeking opportunities for professional development. Cultivating strong verbal and written communication skills will enhance collaboration with colleagues, parents, and students. Adapting to evolving educational methodologies, such as culturally relevant pedagogies, will contribute to long-term success.
What Media/Instructional Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Anthony Piña Ed.D.: Educational Technology is a very broad field with practitioners in various work settings and with differing emphases and responsibilities. Ultimately, potential employers of both full-timers and consultants will want to now 1) what you can do and 2) what you have done. Depending upon your career emphasis, you can: 1) spend some time with trial software and tutorials to gain expertise in specific applications; 2) co-author articles and co-present at conferences to build up your name recognition and credentials; 3) see if colleagues will allow you to participate in their projects: 4) do not pass up opportunities to work-even if it is low-paid or volunteer with non-profits, civic groups, etc. to build your experience and resume--so many of these lead to future jobs.
What will help Media/Instructional Designers increase their earning potential?
Anthony Piña Ed.D.: Working with and leading people-including managing conflict-is undertaught in our current ed tech programs. Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning will continue to rise in importance. Those going into industry (and increasingly in academe) are expected to have skills in multimedia/video production and interactive authoring, e.g., Articulate, Adobe Captivate. Of course, an ed tech professional will be expected to be up-to-speed in the use and affordances of AI.
What are the best companies to work for a Media/Instructional Designer?
Patrick Klarecki: The Printing and Packaging Industry has had a strong history of employing college graduates each year. In my 28 years as faculty/administrator for the Graphic Communication and Graphic Media Management degrees, we have always had 3-6 jobs available for each of our graduates. Even through the 2008 economy, we were able to celebrate full employment for our graduates.
Mary Miller
InstructorOklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Graphic Design Faculty
What soft skills should all Media/Instructional Designers possess?
Mary Miller: Graphic designers are crucial to a business' success because they identify the brand's core values and personality and create the visual language that expresses those values and personality. So graphic designers must have strong research skills and be able to analyze and interpret them to know how to design ads and designs that will resonate with the target audience. Designers must be empathetic to understand what the target audience values and wants. Graphic designers must collaborate with their creative team and clients to develop strategies, so they must have excellent communication and teamwork skills. Excellent writing skills are a huge part of the necessary communication skills. Salesmanship and the ability to articulate the design rationale are requirements also. If a designer cannot articulate their concept to their art director or creative director first, they won't get the chance to present it to the client. Speaking and presentation skills are a part of a designer's career as well. When presenting to a client, they have to create the atmosphere for the client and reveal the solution in a way that explains, educates, and convinces the client that the solution will work. Campaigns are monitored, and the data is analyzed for effectiveness, tested, and tweaked. Graphic design is not about decorating pages but is much more cerebral...it is strategic art.
What skills will help Media/Instructional Designers earn the most?
Mary Miller: The skills that will help you earn the most money throughout your career as a graphic designer are people skills and business skills. It's expected that you must have the design skills to be a long-time creative employee, but to rise to the top of the field, you have to be savvy with people and business decisions. If a designer works in the industry for several years and starts their own studio, they obviously need business knowledge to run and grow their business. Many designers who follow this career path move out of the creative work and concentrate on client relations and acquisition, managing their employees, and running their business. The owners of agencies and studios can earn large, six or seven-figure incomes. The designer who doesn't want to own their own business but would rather be a creative director and/or VP in a large agency will need great people skills. They will be responsible for developing their creative teams and managing people. As VPs and creative directors, they will have more administrative responsibility for the agency, but they don't have the full responsibility an owner does. These positions earn six-figure incomes.
In these creative positions, the portfolio is the most important thing to get the job. It's not as important to have advanced degrees as it might be for accountants, engineers, or other fields. Even job postings that say they require bachelor's degrees will enthusiastically hire someone with a portfolio that showcases the right skill set, regardless of their education. The creative department ultimately decides who they want to hire, not the HR folks who typically can't assess a creative portfolio, so degree requirements are generally not as important. HR people will screen resumes for certain words, which is not necessarily the most effective way to hire creative people. The portfolio is the best way to determine the candidate's ability. The post-pandemic economy has forced companies to change some of their hiring practices. There are so many open jobs that companies realize that they can't use some of the tired strategies they used before the pandemic. They are less concerned about degree requirements now as more Americans are questioning the expense of 4-year degrees and fewer people are willing to go into deep debt to buy one.
More Americans realize the value of industry-focused, technical degrees in higher education and seek less expensive ways to ensure career success. (ABC News did a recent series on this subject. It was broadcast on KRMG radio a couple of weeks ago. The series was all pandemic recovery, "how have we changed" type of reporting.) Associate of Applied Science degrees can fill the void for many. People are doing their homework and looking for programs with great track records and successful alumni that prove it. OSUIT's graphic design program has been around since 1946 when the school was started and has lots of examples of graduates who hold associate's of applied science graphic design degrees, and nothing more, who are successful agency and studio owners, VPs of Creative, Marketing Directors, Design Directors, Executive Creative Directors, Creative Directors, Associate Creative Directors, Sr. Art Directors, etc.
What skills will help Media/Instructional Designers earn the most?
Diana Boyd: -Originality/Creativity
-UX/UI design
-Branding
-Marketing and Advertising
-Illustration
What soft skills should all Media/Instructional Designers possess?
Diana Boyd: -Collaboration/Teamwork
-Interpersonal
-Reliability
-Ethical behavior
-Self-starter
What hard/technical skills are most important for Media/Instructional Designers?
Diana Boyd: -Adobe Illustrator - Vector drawing skills
-Adobe Photoshop - Working with raster images
-Adobe InDesign - Layout skills
-Adobe Animate - Animation
-Adobe XD - UX/UI prototyping
-Wordpress/Adobe Portfolio/Adobe Dreamweaver - web design/development
-Microsoft Word /PowerPoint
Holly Sterling
Associate Professor of Communication Design, Internship CoordinatorTexas State University
School of Art and Design
What soft skills should all Media/Instructional Designers possess?
Holly Sterling: - Strong communication and problem-solving skills - not only in your design work but in your day-to-day job.
- Being able to work collaboratively and be a responsible team member (i.e., productive, organized, respond positively to feedback, adaptable).
What hard/technical skills are most important for Media/Instructional Designers?
Holly Sterling: - Literacy in relevant software, written communications, design research, iterative design processes, presentation skills
What skills will help Media/Instructional Designers earn the most?
Holly Sterling: - If you're talking about hard skills, there's a run on "all things UX," and there are more positions to fill than designers to fill them. Also, strong visual designers who can do also do some illustration and motion graphics are in high demand.
- If you're talking soft skills, hiring managers frequently tell me that "who" the designer is every bit as important as what they can do, so be a good human that people will want to work with. This will serve you well throughout your entire career.
Jenn Stucker
Associate Professor, Chair of The Graphic Design DivisionBowling Green State University
School of Art
What skills stand out on Media/Instructional Designer resumes?
Jenn Stucker: A BFA degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design or communication design are distinctive. It is a professional degree in the field. A BFA represents a concentration in growing creative skills through creative coursework. While technical skills earned in a technology or certificate program are valuable for producing design work, strong skills in visual design and creative thinking define how and WHAT work is worthy and necessary for people to experience.
What soft skills should all Media/Instructional Designers possess?
Jenn Stucker: A good designer's soft skills include empathy, critical thinking, context, collaboration, leadership, networking, and the ability to present and articulate ideas.
What skills will help Media/Instructional Designers earn the most?
Jenn Stucker: Along with good visual design skills, creative thinking, problem-solving, and strategy will set a designer apart from others. These kinds of designers can understand the big picture of design in relation to context, culture, and meaning.
Doug Regen
Professor of PracticeBelmont University
Graphic Design Department
What skills stand out on Media/Instructional Designer resumes?
Doug Regen: Ability to problem-solve with strong creative solutions. Innovative. Detail-oriented. Ability to design creative solutions based on research...understanding the target audience, trends, etc.
What soft skills should all Media/Instructional Designers possess?
Doug Regen: Team player. Enthusiasm. Hark worker...willing to put in the time. Strong communicator. Openminded.
What skills will help Media/Instructional Designers earn the most?
Doug Regen: Brilliant Ideas are executed flawlessly. Team player. Ability to motivate and lead others. Strong communicator and presentation skills.
Samantha Osborne
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Owner, Samantha Osborne DesignEastern Illinois University
Art + Design
What skills stand out on Media/Instructional Designer resumes?
Samantha Osborne: Soft skills are equally important to hard skills. Graphic designers are visual communicators. Visual communication is a universal learned skill, vs. a linguistic capability. This means that graphic designers must learn to recognize and effectively utilize mood and tone in their own visual compositions in regard to color theory and psychology, gestalt principles, and font or lettering design. Essentially a well-skilled graphic designer becomes part psychologist in working through design problems and deciphering client direction, part problem-solver in developing an effective solution to the design problem, and part artist in bringing astonishing and original visual communication and graphics to reach a solution.
What soft skills should all Media/Instructional Designers possess?
Samantha Osborne: Three soft skills stand out most: an ability to see the big picture, an ability to "read" people, and an ability to make a convincing argument for your design solution(s).
i. An ability to see big picture: there are an infinite number of details in graphic design, whether you work in website design on the front or back end, or in print media with physical outputs. It's easy to get caught up on the details, especially when clients are making specific demands about things such as paper type. A skilled designer must be able to see beyond the details and look at the big picture for an effective design solution. For example, a client may be asking for an invitation design for an up-coming event. A skilled designer will ask questions and dig in, eventually uncovering that perhaps for a successful event, the client also needs a splash page and social media, either in place of or in addition to an invitation. A skilled designer addresses design problems holistically, rather than minutely.
ii. An ability to "read" people: designers are trained in art-specific vocabulary. Hue, saturation, pixels, gestalt...most non-art folks don't use or speak that language. When clients are describing their goals, they aren't using art-vocabulary. It's a designer's job to translate what the client is saying into an advanced and effective creative solution. They must be able to speak and understand the language of non-creative folks, as well as the language of the broader creative industry.
iii. An ability to make a convincing argument for your design solution(s): many young and inexperienced designer tend to get their hearts broken when a client smashes one of their [very well thought-out] ideas. Rather than rolling over, a designer must learn to navigate how best to build support for their idea(s). That might mean in some instances you work more fluidly with the client throughout the design process, so that they feel they have ownership in the development of the solution. In other instances it might mean that the designer is presenting options, rather than a single solution, so that the client feels empowered to make choices throughout the design process. And in some instances, it might be a matter of better explaining and presenting your idea to a client; perhaps the designer needs to push back more, perhaps they need to provide more research as to why their solution is best, or maybe they simply need to present it with more excitement and enthusiasm.
What skills will help Media/Instructional Designers earn the most?
Samantha Osborne: An ability to effectively communicate, navigate creative resources, network, empathize with others, and come up with innovative creative solutions. That said, your work still needs to be stellar and consistently great if you're going to be a big earner.
What general advice would you give to a Media/Instructional Designer?
Abby Guido: We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.
Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.
Mark Boyer
Director, Robert Reich School, Reich Teaching ProfessorLouisiana State University and A&M College
College of Art and Design
What type of skills will young Media/Instructional Designers need?
Mark Boyer: I don't think the skill set needed will change much from what it has been. Qualities that come to mind are: teachable, reliable, thoughtful, articulate, adaptable, engaged, critical thinker, technologically adept, able to think big and small, empathetic, and good listener.
Barbara Anderson
Professor and HeadKansas State University
Department of Interior Design and Fashion Studies
What type of skills will young Media/Instructional Designers need?
Barbara Anderson: Technology in buildings and using technology to design buildings and communicate with teams and clients will be more critical than ever.
What experience really stands out on Media/Instructional Designer resumes?
Barbara Anderson: The experiences individuals can describe on a resume are meaningful, but soft skills are most impressive in a new hire. My top two soft skills areas are communication (listening, speaking, writing, digital and analog visualization) and being productive in a team (cooperation, constructive conflict, continual personal improvement, taking responsibility, anticipating others' needs).
Alan Garfield
Chair and Professor of Digital Art and Design, Director, Bisignano Art GalleryUniversity of Dubuque
Digital Art and Design Faculty
What type of skills will young Media/Instructional Designers need?
Alan Garfield: Technology and creativity have always been important for graduates, but in 2020 this has become even more pressing. Creative solutions to problems involve creative use of technology but not a reliance on technology. Graduates have recently learned this thru frustration via university-level coursework during this pandemic time. Second, communication, always critical, takes on an added focus because of the technology's strengths/weaknesses. Excellent listening skills can be demonstrated easily. When an employer talks about a position, there are many ways to acknowledge what is heard. There are also ways to show that one hasn't listened to what was said. Third, demonstrating networking skills - connecting with others who do similar work - will assure the completion of tasks. Solutions via teamwork should now be a significant push by graduates.
What experience really stands out on Media/Instructional Designer resumes?
Alan Garfield: Besides soft skills, which I don't think can be 'proven' on a resume, I believe that experiences that demonstrate what a candidate has done either in class or outside of the course are significant. An employer will not find a candidate who has done precisely what needs to be done in all likelihood. If there are examples - deliverables - which are somewhat close to those in the position and demonstrate timing, communication, and excellence in production, then the employer takes less of a risk. Also, merely throwing out names of software is worse than useless. It is sloppy. I believe your resume should list software/hardware (name and company) and a simple, humble measure of the applicant's level of experience in that software. Please include Oss as well.
How do you envision technology impacting Media/Instructional Designers in the next 5 years?
Bennie F. Johnson: We will likely see the Bureau of Labor Statistics trends cited in the Design Futures research to continue to intensify. "Traditional" design jobs had already been decreasing pre-pandemic, due to technological change, while design jobs in technology fields have been growing rapidly. So if anything, it will be designers who will be making a strong impact on technology. This doesn't necessarily mean that all designers will need to code. It does mean that the need for designers to understand complex systems, business models, and the social/cultural/ethical implications of their designs.
While there are tremendous challenges ahead, the design community has a unique opportunity to show leadership, to do good, and to inspire. Unprecedented times can lead us in new and unexpected directions that allow relationships to be strengthened and provide opportunities for expanding networks and connecting in exciting ways with family, friends, and colleagues. The ability to adapt is what is needed in these times.
How do you envision technology impacting Media/Instructional Designers in the next 5 years?
Rich Youmans: Computer-assisted design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and lasers have become commonplace, but these technologies continue to be honed. In the past few years, 3-D printers have become more affordable, and their quality and output continue to improve. This has opened up more opportunities for jewelry at all levels to increase their productivity. Three-dimensional metal printing, in which users can take a CAD file and print them directly in metal, could disrupt the traditional casting method, but the technology isn't quite there yet -- the cost is still too exorbitant. But the best tools for jewelers are still their hands-there will always be a market for handmade work done by skilled craftsman.
Chad Anderson
Associate Professor of Graphic DesignJacksonville State University
Department of Art
What experience really stands out on Media/Instructional Designer resumes?
Chad Anderson: For our art majors with a concentration in Graphic Design, we like to create opportunities for "real-life" experiences through courses that focus on professional internships in the field and service-learning projects that often involve working with actual clients or members of the community. These opportunities allow students to list professional, industry-specific experiences on their resumes so that they enter the field with direct experience in applying their knowledge and problem-solving skills.
Additionally, in most of our courses, our students are encouraged to enter their best works into professional competitions (regional, national, and international). Our students who win various awards can list these achievements on their resumes as well. Notable battles, such as those affiliated with the American Advertising Federation and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (and many others), are recognized in the field and stand out on resumes.
While other activities may certainly enhance resumes, these experiences are a few that help bridge the gap between "school" and a professional career.
What type of skills will young Media/Instructional Designers need?
Rich Youmans: The greatest skills that any graduate can have, not just those entering the jewelry industry, are flexibility and the ability to continuously learn new practices and procedures. For those who want to start their own businesses, a foundation in business/marketing practices will always be helpful. For bench jewelers, good hand-eye coordination is a must, but they must also take the time to learn their craft: to be able to set a gemstone without fear of it coming loose, for instance, and to do so quickly (if they're in a production shop). There are a few good schools dedicated to these skills, but many times the true learning must come through on-the-job experience.
For designers, the computer-assisted design has taken a growing role, but it doesn't compensate for that foundational knowledge: how to create designs that can hold gems securely, how to protect fragile gems, and how to ensure the piece can be manufactured, and a customer can wear the piece comfortably.
Caster may need to develop an understanding of basic metallurgical principles -- e.g., how metal flows, cools, and shrinks-but again, that can be learned on the job.
More and more custom jewelers -- jewelers who work directly with customers to create personalized pieces of custom jewelry -- and for that, the ability to listen and to solicit a customer's tastes and preferences will be crucial.
Carmita Sanchez-Fong
Professor and ChairpersonFashion Institute of Technology, SUNY
Interior Design Department
What Media/Instructional Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Carmita Sanchez-Fong: Sketch, sketch, sketch, and work on your portfolio. Use the many resources at FIT to stay current with technology, including 3d printing, laser cutting, and virtual reality. Volunteer with one of the professional organizations, attend virtual conferences, enter a competition, develop your personal/professional profile, and become familiar with digital material resources. Work on your research and presentation skills. Create a well-organized digital library of your 2d and 3d assets. Prepare yourself to go back. Take some masterclasses. Volunteer as a virtual artist-in-residence at a local school. Be creative, remain engaged.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Media/Instructional Designers?
Carmita Sanchez-Fong: The effects of shrinking economic activity and prolonged uncertainty will affect every sector of the economy. Turn these disruptions into opportunities. You must evolve and grow as a person and as an interior designer. Business models are changing. Be resilient, and don't let your passion wane.