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Instructional developer/designer salary
Average instructional developer/designer salary
$61,258
Understanding the Salary of Instructional Developers/Designers
The average salary for an Instructional Developer/Designer is approximately $61,258 per year. This salary can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. For instance, instructional designers in California and New York often see higher compensation due to the demand for skilled professionals in those regions.
Salary Breakdown by Experience
Entry-level positions typically start lower, while those with several years of experience can earn significantly more. For example, a designer with over five years in the field may earn upwards of $75,000 annually. Additionally, specialized skills in emerging technologies can further enhance earning potential.
Job Opportunities
Instructional developers have a broad range of job opportunities available across sectors, including education, corporate training, and e-learning companies. Many organizations are seeking professionals who can create effective learning materials and experiences. As the demand for quality educational resources grows, so does the potential for career advancement within this field.
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Where can an Instructional Developer/Designer earn more?
Instructional developer/designer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level instructional developer/designer | $53,100 | $25.52 |
| Mid-level instructional developer/designer | $67,300 | $32.35 |
| Senior-level instructional developer/designer | $78,000 | $37.48 |
Average instructional developer/designer salary by state
The highest-paying states for instructional developer/designers are Connecticut, New York, and New Hampshire. The lowest average instructional developer/designer salary states are Oklahoma, Montana, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for instructional developer/designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $71,217 | $34.24 |
| 2 | Maine | $69,338 | $33.34 |
| 3 | Michigan | $67,954 | $32.67 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $81,045 | $38.96 |
| 5 | Nevada | $68,426 | $32.90 |
| 6 | Georgia | $65,284 | $31.39 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $76,070 | $36.57 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $79,738 | $38.34 |
| 9 | New York | $76,581 | $36.82 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $64,182 | $30.86 |
| 11 | California | $74,909 | $36.01 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $69,857 | $33.59 |
| 13 | Vermont | $74,820 | $35.97 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $70,960 | $34.12 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $69,559 | $33.44 |
| 16 | Delaware | $71,695 | $34.47 |
| 17 | Virginia | $68,339 | $32.86 |
| 18 | Ohio | $57,650 | $27.72 |
| 19 | Kansas | $58,969 | $28.35 |
| 20 | Colorado | $61,579 | $29.61 |
| 21 | Alabama | $59,932 | $28.81 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $61,761 | $29.69 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $58,798 | $28.27 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $58,238 | $28.00 |
| 25 | Alaska | $63,340 | $30.45 |
| 26 | Missouri | $60,221 | $28.95 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $62,551 | $30.07 |
| 28 | Texas | $55,188 | $26.53 |
| 29 | Illinois | $62,658 | $30.12 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $65,801 | $31.64 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $55,526 | $26.70 |
| 32 | Iowa | $54,996 | $26.44 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $54,115 | $26.02 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $53,692 | $25.81 |
| 35 | Maryland | $60,118 | $28.90 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $55,395 | $26.63 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $57,110 | $27.46 |
| 38 | Utah | $56,676 | $27.25 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $49,091 | $23.60 |
| 40 | Oregon | $53,463 | $25.70 |
| 41 | Florida | $57,606 | $27.70 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $49,196 | $23.65 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $43,567 | $20.95 |
| 44 | Indiana | $44,561 | $21.42 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $47,073 | $22.63 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $46,175 | $22.20 |
| 47 | Arizona | $50,686 | $24.37 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $42,953 | $20.65 |
| 49 | Idaho | $50,734 | $24.39 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $42,846 | $20.60 |
| 51 | Montana | $45,774 | $22.01 |
Highest paying cities for instructional developer/designers
The highest-paying cities for instructional developer/designers are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $81,122 | $39.00 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $81,012 | $38.95 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $76,849 | $36.95 |
| 4 | Wilmington, DE | $71,837 | $34.54 |
| 5 | Everett, WA | $71,609 | $34.43 |
| 6 | Bensalem, PA | $70,471 | $33.88 |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $69,638 | $33.48 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $69,591 | $33.46 |
| 9 | Savannah, GA | $66,369 | $31.91 |
| 10 | Newark, NJ | $65,891 | $31.68 |
| 11 | Saint Paul, MN | $64,196 | $30.86 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $63,112 | $30.34 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $61,562 | $29.60 |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD | $60,300 | $28.99 |
| 15 | Albuquerque, NM | $58,381 | $28.07 |
| 16 | Tampa, FL | $57,588 | $27.69 |
| 17 | Edinburg, TX | $56,932 | $27.37 |
| 18 | Fairfield, OH | $54,498 | $26.20 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $53,413 | $25.68 |
| 20 | Greenville, SC | $46,334 | $22.28 |
Instructional developer/designer salary details
An instructional developer/designer's salary ranges from $43,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $85,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an instructional developer/designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| 75th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| Average | $61,258 | $5,105 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
Highest paying instructional developer/designer jobs
The highest paying types of instructional developer/designers are instructional design consultant, senior instructional designer, and instructional design manager.
| 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 |
| Education Coordinator | $49,139 | $4,095 | $23.62 | 33,367 |
| Curriculum Developer | $53,226 | $4,435 | $25.59 | 73,274 |
| Training Developer | $62,974 | $5,248 | $30.28 | 108,369 |
Top companies hiring instructional developer/designers now:
Which companies pay instructional developer/designers the most?
Instructional developer/designer salaries at Morgan Stanley and NTT Data International L.L.C. Are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average instructional developer/designer salary at companies like Booz Allen Hamilton and Skire are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan Stanley | $91,363 | $43.92 |
| 2 | NTT Data International L.L.C. | $84,828 | $40.78 |
| 3 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $83,875 | $40.32 |
| 4 | Skire | $72,600 | $34.90 |
| 5 | Research Foundation of The City University of New York | $71,911 | $34.57 |
| 6 | Capital One | $69,328 | $33.33 |
| 7 | M Financial Group | $66,832 | $32.13 |
| 8 | Iatric Systems | $66,438 | $31.94 |
| 9 | Savannah College of Art and Design | $64,866 | $31.19 |
| 10 | USAA | $64,855 | $31.18 |
| 11 | Johns Hopkins University | $63,934 | $30.74 |
| 12 | Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs | $63,810 | $30.68 |
| 13 | Denver Public Schools | $62,377 | $29.99 |
| 14 | University of Colorado | $62,113 | $29.86 |
| 15 | Cardinal Financial | $62,044 | $29.83 |
| 16 | LG-TEK | $61,787 | $29.71 |
| 17 | ListenFirst | $61,095 | $29.37 |
| 18 | The Cincinnati Insurance Companies | $61,037 | $29.34 |
| 19 | NANA | $60,693 | $29.18 |
| 20 | Minnesota State Fair | $60,595 | $29.13 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Instructional Developer/Designer salary by industry
The average instructional developer/designer salary varies across industries:
- The average instructional developer/designer salary in the technology industry is $75,621, the highest of any industry.
- The average instructional developer/designer salary in the finance industry is $67,650.
- Instructional developer/designers in the automotive industry earn an average salary of $59,996, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for instructional developer/designers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $75,621 | $36.36 |
| 2 | Finance | $67,650 | $32.52 |
| 3 | Health Care | $66,522 | $31.98 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $63,177 | $30.37 |
| 5 | Education | $60,315 | $29.00 |
| 6 | Automotive | $59,996 | $28.84 |
High paying instructional developer/designer jobs
Instructional developer/designer salary trends
The average instructional developer/designer salary has risen by $7,034 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average instructional developer/designer earned $54,224 annually, but today, they earn $61,258 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for instructional developer/designers over the last decade.
Compare instructional developer/designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average instructional developer/designer salary over time
Compare instructional developer/designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Instructional developer/designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,300 | $29.45 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $60,600 | $29.15 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $59,000 | $28.34 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $58,300 | $28.03 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $57,100 | $27.47 | +0.3% |
Recently added instructional developer/designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schluter Systems L.P | Learning and Development Instructional Designer | Plattsburgh, NY | 06/20/2025 | $66,000 |
| Clarity Consultants | Instructional Designer/Developer (Elearning Virtual | Campbell, CA | 06/17/2025 | $114,785 |
| Westerra Credit Union | Instructional Designer & Learning Developer II | Denver, CO | 06/03/2025 | $62,343 |
| Golden 1 Talent Acquisition Team | Instructional Designer Leadership Development | Sacramento, CA | 04/25/2025 | $111,800 |
| GE Healthcare | Instructional Designer and Content Developer | Chicago, IL | 04/22/2025 | $100,800 |
| Kemper | Instructional Designer and Developer | Cerritos, CA | 04/04/2025 | $77,100 |
| Kemper | Instructional Designer and Developer | Henderson, NV | 04/04/2025 | $77,100 |
| Kemper | Instructional Designer and Developer | Birmingham, AL | 04/04/2025 | $77,100 |
| Kemper | Instructional Designer and Developer | Doral, FL | 04/04/2025 | $77,100 |
| Clarity Consultants | Instructional Designer/Developer-Conflict Resolution & Giving Feedback (Vilt Virtual | Rochester, NY | 04/02/2025 | $125,220 |
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