Best cities for a senior instructional designer
The best cities for senior instructional designers are Lincoln, NE, Las Vegas, NV, and Nashville, TN, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for senior instructional designers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for senior instructional designers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a senior instructional designer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for senior instructional designers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for senior instructional designers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a senior instructional designer. While the absolute best city for senior instructional designers is Lincoln, NE, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for senior instructional designers in 2024.
If you're looking for a senior instructional designer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for senior instructional designers in 2025
1. Lincoln, NE
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $70,748 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location quotient: 7.41 2. Las Vegas, NV
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $74,280 Lowest 10 percent warn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location quotient: 2.77 3. Nashville, TN
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $65,124 Lowest 10 percent warn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location quotient: 2.49 4. Baltimore, MD
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $83,474 Lowest 10 percent warn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location quotient: 4.77 5. Raleigh, NC
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $66,951 Lowest 10 percent warn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location quotient: 3.76 6. Toledo, OH
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $62,981 Lowest 10 percent warn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location quotient: 7.33 7. Seattle, WA
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $76,384 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location quotient: 2.12 8. Pittsburgh, PA
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $70,853 Lowest 10 percent warn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location quotient: 1.08 9. Philadelphia, PA
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $72,924 Lowest 10 percent warn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location quotient: 0.67 10. Brookhaven, NY
Total senior instructional designer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $85,660 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location quotient: 0.00
Choose from 10+ customizable senior instructional designer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use senior instructional designer resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your senior instructional designer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for senior instructional designers
- Lincoln, NE
- Las Vegas, NV
- Nashville, TN
- Baltimore, MD
- Raleigh, NC
- Toledo, OH
- Seattle, WA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Brookhaven, NY
- (5 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (4 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (4 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (9 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (6 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (2 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (11 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (2 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (2 senior instructional designer jobs)
- (0 senior instructional designer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a senior instructional designer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln, NE | $70,748 | $54,000 | 280,364 | 5 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $74,280 | $55,000 | 632,912 | 4 |
| 3 | Nashville, TN | $65,124 | $48,000 | 660,388 | 4 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $83,474 | $59,000 | 614,664 | 9 |
| 5 | Raleigh, NC | $66,951 | $48,000 | 458,880 | 6 |
| 6 | Toledo, OH | $62,981 | $46,000 | 278,508 | 2 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $76,384 | $60,000 | 704,352 | 11 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh, PA | $70,853 | $51,000 | 303,625 | 2 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $72,924 | $52,000 | 1,567,872 | 2 |
| 10 | Brookhaven, NY | $85,660 | $60,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $68,049 | $50,000 | 1,492,510 | 3 |
| 12 | Islip, NY | $85,599 | $60,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 13 | New York, NY | $85,375 | $60,000 | 8,537,673 | 17 |
| 14 | Reno, NV | $78,292 | $59,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 15 | North Las Vegas, NV | $74,157 | $55,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | $69,184 | $50,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 17 | Oyster Bay, NY | $85,516 | $60,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 18 | Henderson, NV | $73,792 | $55,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 19 | Cleveland, OH | $63,993 | $46,000 | 385,809 | 2 |
| 20 | Hempstead, NY | $85,477 | $60,000 | 759,757 | - |
| 21 | Plano, TX | $67,065 | $50,000 | 286,057 | 7 |
| 22 | Durham, NC | $66,975 | $48,000 | 263,016 | 1 |
| 23 | Buffalo, NY | $83,675 | $60,000 | 256,902 | - |
| 24 | Memphis, TN | $64,445 | $48,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 25 | Boston, MA | $75,492 | $53,000 | 673,184 | 10 |
| 26 | Scottsdale, AZ | $65,167 | $48,000 | 246,645 | 5 |
| 27 | Mesa, AZ | $65,088 | $48,000 | 484,587 | 4 |
| 28 | San Francisco, CA | $83,848 | $62,000 | 870,887 | 10 |
| 29 | Omaha, NE | $70,960 | $54,000 | 446,970 | - |
| 30 | Saint Paul, MN | $69,631 | $53,000 | 302,398 | 5 |
| 31 | Sacramento, CA | $82,758 | $62,000 | 495,234 | 5 |
| 32 | Laredo, TX | $68,677 | $50,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 33 | Virginia Beach, VA | $80,078 | $57,000 | 452,602 | - |
| 34 | Corpus Christi, TX | $68,237 | $50,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 35 | Austin, TX | $67,773 | $50,000 | 947,890 | 4 |
| 36 | Norfolk, VA | $79,952 | $57,000 | 245,115 | - |
| 37 | Chesapeake, VA | $79,747 | $57,000 | 237,940 | - |
| 38 | Portland, OR | $73,977 | $57,000 | 639,863 | 2 |
| 39 | Atlanta, GA | $65,870 | $48,000 | 472,522 | 16 |
| 40 | Lubbock, TX | $67,889 | $50,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 41 | El Paso, TX | $69,178 | $51,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 42 | Madison, WI | $63,401 | $47,000 | 252,551 | 4 |
| 43 | Greensboro, NC | $66,400 | $48,000 | 287,027 | - |
| 44 | Fort Worth, TX | $67,252 | $50,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 45 | Arlington, TX | $67,227 | $50,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 46 | Oklahoma City, OK | $59,393 | $45,000 | 638,367 | 6 |
| 47 | Irving, TX | $67,170 | $50,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 48 | Oakland, CA | $83,673 | $62,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 49 | Washington, DC | $83,306 | $59,000 | 681,170 | 12 |
| 50 | Dallas, TX | $67,166 | $50,000 | 1,317,929 | - |
Highest paying cities for senior instructional designers
| Rank | City | Avg. senior instructional designer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newtown, CT | $94,142 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $85,375 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $83,848 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $83,474 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $83,306 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $81,528 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $76,384 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $75,492 |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | $74,280 |
| 10 | Portland, OR | $73,977 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $72,924 |
| 12 | Lincoln, NE | $70,748 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $70,420 |
| 14 | Eden Prairie, MN | $69,500 |
| 15 | Denver, CO | $68,204 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $67,773 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | $66,951 |
| 18 | Marietta, GA | $65,883 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $65,244 |
| 20 | Cleveland, OH | $63,993 |
Senior instructional designer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
Search for senior instructional designer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025