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Instructional design specialist salary
Average instructional design specialist salary
$54,282
Average Instructional Design Specialist Salary
The average salary for an Instructional Design Specialist is approximately $54,282 per year, translating to about $26 per hour. Salaries in this field can be influenced by factors such as experience level, geographical location, and the specific industry in which one is employed.
How Much Does an Instructional Design Specialist Make?
Entry-level positions in this field typically start at lower salaries, around $40,000, while experienced specialists can earn upwards of $70,000 annually. Various sectors, including education and corporate training, offer differing salary ranges, making it essential to explore options based on your expertise and interests.
Where Can an Instructional Design Specialist Earn More?
Location plays a significant role in salary variation. States with a high demand for instructional design specialists, such as California and New York, tend to offer higher compensation. Additionally, urban areas often provide more job opportunities and competitive salaries compared to rural regions. Researching local job markets will help you identify the best areas for potential earnings.
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Where can an Instructional Design Specialist earn more?
Instructional design specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level instructional design specialist | $47,000 | $22.61 |
| Mid-level instructional design specialist | $59,600 | $28.66 |
| Senior-level instructional design specialist | $69,100 | $33.21 |
Average instructional design specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for instructional design specialists are Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. The lowest average instructional design specialist salary states are Indiana, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for instructional design specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $70,562 | $33.92 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $69,893 | $33.60 |
| 3 | Vermont | $67,135 | $32.28 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $63,358 | $30.46 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $67,071 | $32.25 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $70,590 | $33.94 |
| 7 | Oregon | $63,356 | $30.46 |
| 8 | Washington | $64,978 | $31.24 |
| 9 | Michigan | $60,530 | $29.10 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $64,327 | $30.93 |
| 11 | Delaware | $63,063 | $30.32 |
| 12 | New York | $67,728 | $32.56 |
| 13 | Maine | $61,704 | $29.67 |
| 14 | Alaska | $58,957 | $28.34 |
| 15 | Maryland | $63,330 | $30.45 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $61,522 | $29.58 |
| 17 | California | $59,391 | $28.55 |
| 18 | Virginia | $58,727 | $28.23 |
| 19 | Illinois | $58,505 | $28.13 |
| 20 | Nevada | $60,586 | $29.13 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $53,320 | $25.63 |
| 22 | Alabama | $55,655 | $26.76 |
| 23 | Ohio | $57,141 | $27.47 |
| 24 | Texas | $53,748 | $25.84 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $55,393 | $26.63 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $55,103 | $26.49 |
| 27 | Kansas | $53,244 | $25.60 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $58,127 | $27.95 |
| 29 | Colorado | $52,051 | $25.02 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $51,664 | $24.84 |
| 31 | Utah | $50,488 | $24.27 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $53,535 | $25.74 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $51,171 | $24.60 |
| 34 | Florida | $51,375 | $24.70 |
| 35 | Iowa | $49,553 | $23.82 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $51,675 | $24.84 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $49,560 | $23.83 |
| 38 | Arizona | $46,447 | $22.33 |
| 39 | Idaho | $45,656 | $21.95 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $50,085 | $24.08 |
| 41 | Georgia | $48,727 | $23.43 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $48,836 | $23.48 |
| 43 | Missouri | $47,836 | $23.00 |
| 44 | Montana | $41,209 | $19.81 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $43,817 | $21.07 |
| 46 | Indiana | $43,271 | $20.80 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $44,502 | $21.40 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $38,980 | $18.74 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $41,502 | $19.95 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $41,458 | $19.93 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $38,582 | $18.55 |
Highest paying cities for instructional design specialists
The highest-paying cities for instructional design specialists are Washington, DC, Hartford, CT, and Cambridge, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $70,628 | $33.96 |
| 2 | Hartford, CT | $70,541 | $33.91 |
| 3 | Cambridge, MA | $69,901 | $33.61 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $67,878 | $32.63 |
| 5 | Minnetonka, MN | $64,151 | $30.84 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $63,634 | $30.59 |
| 7 | Corvallis, OR | $63,602 | $30.58 |
| 8 | Spokane, WA | $63,248 | $30.41 |
| 9 | Lansing, MI | $60,073 | $28.88 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $58,875 | $28.31 |
| 11 | Irvine, CA | $57,690 | $27.74 |
| 12 | Montgomery, AL | $55,610 | $26.74 |
| 13 | Lincoln, NE | $55,152 | $26.52 |
| 14 | San Antonio, TX | $54,450 | $26.18 |
| 15 | Fond du Lac, WI | $52,189 | $25.09 |
| 16 | Denver, CO | $52,079 | $25.04 |
| 17 | Bradenton, FL | $51,737 | $24.87 |
| 18 | Cedar Falls, IA | $50,109 | $24.09 |
| 19 | Russellville, AR | $48,814 | $23.47 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $48,601 | $23.37 |
Instructional design specialist salary details
An instructional design specialist's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $74,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an instructional design specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $54,282 | $4,524 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
Highest paying instructional design specialist jobs
The highest paying types of instructional design specialists are senior training specialist, training specialist, and instructional design consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curriculum Writer | $57,563 | $4,797 | $27.67 | 11,540 |
| Curriculum Coordinator | $47,586 | $3,965 | $22.88 | 9,654 |
| College Scouting Coordinator | $48,169 | $4,014 | $23.16 | 17,016 |
| Vocational Training Instructor | $56,294 | $4,691 | $27.06 | 46,814 |
| Education Coordinator | $49,139 | $4,095 | $23.62 | 33,367 |
| Curriculum Developer | $53,226 | $4,435 | $25.59 | 73,274 |
Top companies hiring instructional design specialists now:
Which companies pay instructional design specialists the most?
Instructional design specialist salaries at Baker Hughes and Halliburton are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average instructional design specialist salary at companies like AbbVie and Altice USA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baker Hughes | $85,405 | $41.06 |
| 2 | Halliburton | $82,394 | $39.61 |
| 3 | AbbVie | $75,552 | $36.32 |
| 4 | Altice USA | $72,610 | $34.91 |
| 5 | Activision Blizzard | $72,580 | $34.89 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley | $71,139 | $34.20 |
| 7 | Rutgers University | $69,160 | $33.25 |
| 8 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $67,319 | $32.36 |
| 9 | Clean Harbors | $67,227 | $32.32 |
| 10 | McNichols | $66,641 | $32.04 |
| 11 | Cenergy International Services | $66,029 | $31.74 |
| 12 | Community Medical Center | $65,637 | $31.56 |
| 13 | Mayo Clinic | $65,186 | $31.34 |
| 14 | Ellucian | $64,776 | $31.14 |
| 15 | State University of New York College at Cortland | $63,875 | $30.71 |
| 16 | Strayer University | $63,776 | $30.66 |
| 17 | Moraine Park Technical College | $63,373 | $30.47 |
| 18 | Oregon State University | $62,569 | $30.08 |
| 19 | Novant Health | $62,444 | $30.02 |
| 20 | University of Mississippi | $62,078 | $29.85 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Instructional Design Specialist salary by industry
The average instructional design specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average instructional design specialist salary in the health care industry is $58,781, the highest of any industry.
- The average instructional design specialist salary in the finance industry is $57,370.
- Instructional design specialists in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $51,811, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for instructional design specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $58,781 | $28.26 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $57,370 | $27.58 |
| 3 | Education | $57,342 | $27.57 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $51,811 | $24.91 |
High paying instructional design specialist jobs
Instructional design specialist salary trends
The average instructional design specialist salary has risen by $6,233 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average instructional design specialist earned $48,049 annually, but today, they earn $54,282 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for instructional design specialists over the last decade.
Compare instructional design specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average instructional design specialist salary over time
Compare instructional design specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Instructional design specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $54,300 | $26.10 | +1.0% |
| 2025 | $53,700 | $25.83 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $52,200 | $25.12 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $51,700 | $24.84 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $50,600 | $24.34 | +0.3% |
Recently added instructional design specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KBI Biopharma Inc. | Senior Instructional Design Specialist, Global Training | Durham, NC | 06/29/2025 | $84,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Health System | Instructional Design Education Specialist-Remote | Rochester, MN | 06/27/2025 | $74,859 |
| Linn-Benton Community College | Instructional Specialist 2, Heavy Diesel Equipment | Albany, OR | 06/26/2025 | $40,819 |
| 27J Schools | Instructional Specialist (ELA Emphasis) | Boone, CO | 06/25/2025 | $87,370 |
| Humble Independent School District | Campus Instructional Specialist-PCN 9723 | Nome, TX | 06/12/2025 | $70,303 |
| Din Tai Fung | Instructional Design Specialist (Contract) | Arcadia, CA | 06/09/2025 | $63,111 |
| Sfcollege | (for Summer/Fall 2025)-Instructional Specialist, English for Speakers of Other LA | Gainesville, FL | 06/09/2025 | $36,877 |
| State of Virginia | Instructional Design Specialist | Charlottesville, VA | 06/06/2025 | $53,498 |
| Nightingale College | Specialist I, Instructional Design (Academic Curriculum) | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/06/2025 | $65,000 |
| Nightingale College | Specialist I, Instructional Design (LD&I) | Salt Lake City, UT | 05/29/2025 | $65,000 |
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