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Instructional designer and trainer salary
Average instructional designer and trainer salary
$65,072
Average Instructional Designer and Trainer Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Instructional Designer and Trainer is $65,072 per year, equating to about $31 per hour. Salaries may differ based on experience; entry-level positions typically start lower, while seasoned professionals can command significantly higher wages. Factors such as industry specialization and geographic location further influence earnings.
Salary by State
In states like California and New York, salaries are often higher, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled instructional designers. For instance, the highest-paying cities include San Francisco and New York City, where salaries can exceed $80,000 annually.
Exploring Career Opportunities
Instructional Designers and Trainers can find roles in various sectors, including education, corporate training, and e-learning development. Continuously updating skills and certifications can lead to better job opportunities and salary increases. Investigate job openings on Zippia to match your qualifications with potential employers, ensuring you find a role that meets your career aspirations.
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Where can an Instructional Designer And Trainer earn more?
Instructional designer and trainer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level instructional designer and trainer | $56,400 | $27.11 |
| Mid-level instructional designer and trainer | $71,500 | $34.36 |
| Senior-level instructional designer and trainer | $82,800 | $39.82 |
Average instructional designer and trainer salary by state
The highest-paying states for instructional designer and trainers are Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maryland. The lowest average instructional designer and trainer salary states are Mississippi, Indiana, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for instructional designer and trainers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $88,710 | $42.65 |
| 2 | Maryland | $83,881 | $40.33 |
| 3 | New York | $80,078 | $38.50 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $88,377 | $42.49 |
| 5 | Washington | $70,756 | $34.02 |
| 6 | Virginia | $73,197 | $35.19 |
| 7 | Oregon | $69,069 | $33.21 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $76,889 | $36.97 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $71,256 | $34.26 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $71,161 | $34.21 |
| 11 | Michigan | $65,207 | $31.35 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $67,645 | $32.52 |
| 13 | California | $69,482 | $33.40 |
| 14 | Illinois | $63,631 | $30.59 |
| 15 | Nevada | $69,943 | $33.63 |
| 16 | Delaware | $68,949 | $33.15 |
| 17 | Colorado | $66,023 | $31.74 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $65,155 | $31.32 |
| 19 | Arizona | $62,088 | $29.85 |
| 20 | Vermont | $69,333 | $33.33 |
| 21 | Texas | $63,081 | $30.33 |
| 22 | Georgia | $61,704 | $29.67 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $62,959 | $30.27 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $62,863 | $30.22 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $66,954 | $32.19 |
| 26 | Idaho | $61,615 | $29.62 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $58,574 | $28.16 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $62,418 | $30.01 |
| 29 | Utah | $57,619 | $27.70 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $61,498 | $29.57 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $57,484 | $27.64 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $58,838 | $28.29 |
| 33 | Alaska | $64,299 | $30.91 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $59,852 | $28.77 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $59,157 | $28.44 |
| 36 | Ohio | $56,908 | $27.36 |
| 37 | Kansas | $55,673 | $26.77 |
| 38 | Maine | $59,003 | $28.37 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $57,130 | $27.47 |
| 40 | Missouri | $56,064 | $26.95 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $53,084 | $25.52 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $56,024 | $26.93 |
| 43 | Alabama | $55,250 | $26.56 |
| 44 | Florida | $54,459 | $26.18 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $49,991 | $24.03 |
| 46 | Indiana | $50,333 | $24.20 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $53,679 | $25.81 |
| 48 | Iowa | $49,262 | $23.68 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $54,694 | $26.30 |
| 50 | Montana | $49,968 | $24.02 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $39,893 | $19.18 |
Highest paying cities for instructional designer and trainers
The highest-paying cities for instructional designer and trainers are Germantown, MD, New York, NY, and Sunnyvale, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germantown, MD | $83,526 | $40.16 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $80,137 | $38.53 |
| 3 | Sunnyvale, CA | $73,742 | $35.45 |
| 4 | Norfolk, VA | $73,042 | $35.12 |
| 5 | Tacoma, WA | $71,136 | $34.20 |
| 6 | Burlington, MA | $71,113 | $34.19 |
| 7 | Tualatin, OR | $68,988 | $33.17 |
| 8 | Longmont, CO | $66,048 | $31.75 |
| 9 | Southfield, MI | $65,499 | $31.49 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $63,977 | $30.76 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $63,455 | $30.51 |
| 12 | Saint Paul, MN | $62,814 | $30.20 |
| 13 | Cheyenne, WY | $62,219 | $29.91 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $61,556 | $29.59 |
| 15 | Morrisville, NC | $60,011 | $28.85 |
| 16 | Florence, SC | $57,618 | $27.70 |
| 17 | Orem, UT | $57,568 | $27.68 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $55,947 | $26.90 |
| 19 | Tampa, FL | $54,338 | $26.12 |
| 20 | Cincinnati, OH | $54,101 | $26.01 |
Instructional designer and trainer salary details
An instructional designer and trainer's salary ranges from $48,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $87,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an instructional designer and trainer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| Average | $65,072 | $5,423 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
Highest paying instructional designer and trainer jobs
The highest paying types of instructional designer and trainers are senior training specialist, training specialist, and senior instructional systems designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training Consultant | $56,760 | $4,730 | $27.29 | 52,054 |
| Training Developer | $62,974 | $5,248 | $30.28 | 108,369 |
| Curriculum Developer | $53,226 | $4,435 | $25.59 | 73,274 |
| Trainer Lead | $72,175 | $6,015 | $34.70 | 43,216 |
| Vocational Training Instructor | $56,294 | $4,691 | $27.06 | 46,814 |
| Trainer | $47,574 | $3,964 | $22.87 | 40,650 |
Top companies hiring instructional designer and trainers now:
Which companies pay instructional designer and trainers the most?
Instructional designer and trainer salaries at Apple and SoCalGas are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average instructional designer and trainer salary at companies like Morgan Stanley and Tesla are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $110,331 | $53.04 |
| 2 | SoCalGas | $92,523 | $44.48 |
| 3 | Morgan Stanley | $89,091 | $42.83 |
| 4 | Tesla | $86,927 | $41.79 |
| 5 | Oracle | $85,383 | $41.05 |
| 6 | Scantron | $82,493 | $39.66 |
| 7 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $82,192 | $39.52 |
| 8 | University of California-Berkeley | $80,961 | $38.92 |
| 9 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $79,691 | $38.31 |
| 10 | Safran | $77,215 | $37.12 |
| 11 | Equifax | $73,128 | $35.16 |
| 12 | SAIC | $72,997 | $35.09 |
| 13 | Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc. | $72,936 | $35.07 |
| 14 | Bell Flight | $72,688 | $34.95 |
| 15 | Webster University | $72,494 | $34.85 |
| 16 | University of Massachusetts Boston | $72,315 | $34.77 |
| 17 | Salsa Labs | $72,004 | $34.62 |
| 18 | Hackensack Meridian Health | $71,455 | $34.35 |
| 19 | UNC Health Care | $70,889 | $34.08 |
| 20 | University of Mississippi Medical Center | $70,802 | $34.04 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Instructional Designer And Trainer salary by industry
The average instructional designer and trainer salary varies across industries:
- The average instructional designer and trainer salary in the technology industry is $70,081, the highest of any industry.
- The average instructional designer and trainer salary in the finance industry is $67,387.
- Instructional designer and trainers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $61,422, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for instructional designer and trainers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $70,081 | $33.69 |
| 2 | Health Care | $67,387 | $32.40 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $67,258 | $32.34 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $66,260 | $31.86 |
| 5 | Professional | $61,422 | $29.53 |
High paying instructional designer and trainer jobs
Instructional designer and trainer salary trends
The average instructional designer and trainer salary has risen by $7,472 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average instructional designer and trainer earned $57,600 annually, but today, they earn $65,072 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for instructional designer and trainers over the last decade.
Compare instructional designer and trainer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average instructional designer and trainer salary over time
Compare instructional designer and trainer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Instructional designer and trainer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,100 | $31.28 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $64,400 | $30.97 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $62,600 | $30.11 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $61,900 | $29.78 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $60,700 | $29.18 | +0.3% |
Recently added instructional designer and trainer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Community College (Nc | Healthcare Training Instructional Staff | Whiteville, NC | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| Constellation Energy Corp | OPS Training Instructor | Clinton, IL | 05/07/2025 | $135,000 |
| Hill College | Instructor, Job Training & Workforce Partnerships | Cleburne, TX | 04/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| PSEG | Nuclear Simulator Training Instructor, Salem Operations (PWR) | Hancocks Bridge, NJ | 04/10/2025 | $114,500 |
| Constellation Energy | OPS Training Instructor | Marseilles, IL | 03/30/2025 | $135,000 |
| University of Minnesota | Instructional Designer & Trainer | Minneapolis, MN | 02/23/2025 | $84,000 |
| Coca-Cola | Merchandising Training Instructor | Saint Charles, MO | 02/21/2025 | $46,421 |
| Ember Alliance | Call-When-Needed Wildland Fire Training Instructor | Fort Collins, CO | 02/18/2025 | $37,566 |
| City of Durham, Nc | Trainer/Instructional Designer | Durham, NC | 02/18/2025 | $65,749 |
| Collabera | Instructional Designer Trainer | Boone, NC | 02/17/2025 | $104,350 |
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