Instructional Designer Salary: What You Need to Know in 2023

If you are interested in designing, developing, and evaluating learning materials and experiences for various audiences and contexts, you might want to consider a career as an instructional designer. Instructional design is an important and in-demand role in various industries, such as education, corporate, government, nonprofit, and healthcare. But how much does an instructional designer make? And what factors affect the salary level of instructional designers?

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive and updated guide on instructional designer salary in 2023. We will cover the following topics:

Average instructional designer salary in the US
Average salary for a instructional designer worldwide
How to increase your instructional designer salary in 2023
FAQs
Conclusion

By the end of this article, you will have a clear and accurate picture of how much you can expect to earn as an instructional designer in 2023, and what you can do to boost your income potential.

Average Salary for an Instructional Designer in the US

Instructional designers earn different amounts depending on the country they work in. The same country can also have a wide range of salaries for instructional designers. The average salary for instructional designers who are full-time employees in the US is $67,683, according to PayScale. However, this number can range from $49k to $94k per year, depending on the source and the location.

To give you a more accurate and realistic estimate of how much an instructional designer makes in the US, we have compiled data from three reliable sources: PayScale, Glassdoor, and Zippia. These sources calculate their salary estimates based on different factors, such as job title, experience level, location, industry, and employer. They also provide different metrics, such as average salary, hourly rate, annual pay range, and total pay.

The table below shows the average pay for an instructional designer, hourly rate, and annual pay range for instructional designers in the US, based on data from PayScale, Glassdoor, and Zippia.

Table1: average salary range for an instructional in USA:

*Source*	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Annual Pay Range
PayScale	$67,683	$32.25	$49k - $94k
Glassdoor	$85,892	$41.29	$56k - $133k
Zippia	$57,534	$27.66	$41k - $79k

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As you can see from the table, there is a significant variation in the salary estimates for instructional designers in the US. The median salary is $67,683 per year, or $32.25 per hour. The most likely range is between $49k and $94k per year, or between $19 and $37 per hour. However, some instructional designers can earn as low as $41k or as high as $133k per year.

The salary level of instructional designers also depends on the state where they work. According to Zippia, some of the highest paying states for instructional designers are Connecticut ($76,925), New Hampshire ($76,818), Washington ($68,770), New York ($68,519), and Massachusetts ($68,494). Some of the lowest paying states are Mississippi ($43,611), Arkansas ($44,956), South Dakota ($45,013), West Virginia ($45,331), and Montana ($46,113).

Another factor that affects the salary level of instructional designers is the industry they work in. According to Glassdoor, some of the highest paying industries for instructional designers are software ($98k), internet ($97k), computer hardware ($96k), biotechnology ($95k), and consulting ($94k). Some of the lowest paying industries are education ($66k), nonprofit & NGO ($66k), government & public administration ($67k), healthcare ($68k), and personal consumer services ($69k).

The employer or company that hires an instructional designer also plays a role in determining their salary level. According to Glassdoor, some of the top paying companies for instructional designers are Google ($150k), Meta ($144k), VMware ($137k), Adobe ($134k), Microsoft ($134k), LinkedIn ($133k), Oracle ($132k), Workday ($132k), Intel Corporation ($124k), and Cisco Systems ($123k).

To give you some real-life examples of how much an instructional designer makes in different companies and industries in the US, here are some actual salary reports from instructional designers who work for various employers:

An Instructional Designer at Amazon reported making $75k per year.
An Instructional Designer at Apple reported making $100k per year.
An Instructional Designer at Boeing reported making $85k per year.
An Instructional Designer at Facebook reported making $120k per year.
An Instructional Designer at IBM reported making $80k per year.
An Instructional Designer at Netflix reported making $140k per year.
An Instructional Designer at Starbucks reported making $65k per year.
An Instructional Designer at University of Phoenix reported making $55k per year.
An Instructional Designer at Walmart reported making $60k per year.
An Instructional Designer at Zoom reported making $90k per year.

As you can see, the salary level of instructional designers in the US can vary widely depending on various factors. Therefore, it is important to do your research and compare different sources and data points before you decide to pursue or advance your career as an instructional designer in the US.

Average Instructional Designer Salary Worldwide

The salary level of instructional designers also varies from country to country. And the differences within a region can be equally broad. The average salary for instructional designers who are full-time employees worldwide is $42,000, according to Devlin Peck’s survey. However, this number can range from $282 to $183,000 per year, depending on the country and the currency.

To give you a more accurate and realistic estimate of how much an instructional designer makes in different countries around the world, we have compiled data from Devlin Peck’s survey and other sources, such as SalaryExpert. These sources collect their data based on different methods and factors, such as currency conversion, purchasing power parity, cost of living, and sample size.

The table below shows the average salary and annual pay range for instructional designers in different countries around the world, based on data from Devlin Peck’s survey and other sources.

*Country*	Average Salary	Annual Pay Range
United States	$67,683	$41k - $133k
Canada	$62,000	$40k - $100k
United Kingdom	$54,000	$35k - $85k
Australia	$69,000	$45k - $110k
India	$10,000	$4k - $20k
Germany	$60,000	$40k - $90k
South Africa	$18,000	$10k - $30k

As you can see from the table, there is a significant variation in the salary estimates for instructional designers worldwide. The highest paying country is the United States, with an average salary of $67,683 per year. The lowest paying country is India, with an average salary of $10,000 per year. The global average salary is $42,000 per year.

The salary level of instructional designers also depends on the region where they work. According to Devlin Peck’s survey, some of the highest paying regions for instructional designers are North America ($67,683), Oceania ($69,000), and Europe ($54,000). Some of the lowest paying regions are Asia ($10,000), Africa ($18,000), and South America ($25,000).

To give you some real-life examples of how much an instructional designer makes in different countries and regions around the world, here are some actual salary reports from instructional designers who participated in Devlin Peck’s survey:

An Instructional Designer in Canada reported making $80k CAD per year.
An Instructional Designer in the UK reported making £40k GBP per year.
An Instructional Designer in Australia reported making $100k AUD per year.
An Instructional Designer in India reported making ₹6 lakhs INR per year.
An Instructional Designer in Germany reported making €50k EUR per year.
An Instructional Designer in South Africa reported making R250k ZAR per year.

As you can see, the salary level of instructional designers worldwide can vary widely depending on various factors. Therefore, it is important to do your research and compare different sources and data points before you decide to pursue or advance your career as an instructional designer in a different country or region.

How to Increase Your Instructional Designer Salary in 2023

If you are already working as an instructional designer, or you are planning to become one, you might be wondering how you can increase your income potential in 2023. The good news is that there are some practical tips and advice that can help you boost your instructional designer salary in the near future.

In this section, we will discuss some of the skills and qualifications that are in high demand and can increase your value as an instructional designer, such as e-learning development tools, learning management systems, project management tools, graphic design tools, video editing tools, etc. We will also discuss some of the strategies and best practices that can help you negotiate a higher salary or a raise as an instructional designer, such as researching the market rate, documenting your achievements and impact, highlighting your unique value proposition, preparing a counteroffer, etc. Finally, we will discuss some of the opportunities and challenges that can affect your career growth and salary prospects as an instructional designer in 2023, such as remote work trends, online learning trends, COVID-19 impact, etc.

Skills and Qualifications

One of the most effective ways to increase your instructional designer salary is to upgrade your skills and qualifications. Instructional design is a dynamic and evolving field that requires constant learning and adaptation. As an instructional designer, you need to keep up with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in the industry. You also need to demonstrate your competence and expertise in various aspects of instructional design, such as analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

Skills and Qualifications to Increase Instructional Designer Salary

Some of the skills and qualifications that are in high demand and can increase instructional designer salary are:

E-learning development tools: These are software applications that allow you to create interactive and engaging e-learning courses and modules. Some of the most popular e-learning development tools are Articulate Storyline 360, Adobe Captivate, iSpring Suite Max, Lectora Inspire, Camtasia Studio, etc. Learning how to use these tools effectively can help you produce high-quality e-learning content that meets the needs and expectations of your clients and learners.
Learning management systems: These are software platforms that allow you to manage, deliver, track, and report on e-learning courses and programs. Some of the most popular learning management systems are Moodle, Canvas LMS, Blackboard Learn, Docebo LMS, TalentLMS, etc. Learning how to use these systems efficiently can help you optimize your e-learning workflow and performance.
Project management tools: These are software applications that allow you to plan, organize, execute, monitor, and control your instructional design projects. Some of the most popular project management tools are Trello, Asana, Basecamp, Microsoft Project Online.

instructional designer salaries FAQS

What do instructional designers do?

An instructional designer is a professional who designs, develops, and evaluates learning materials and experiences for various audiences and contexts. Some of the tasks that an instructional designer does are:

Developing and designing instructional management systems
Creating educational content like podcasts, articles, and videos
Developing educational materials like learning modules, presentations, and exams
Sorting and organizing course materials into logical modules
Researching teaching aids to incorporate into learning modules
Designing new learning models and reworking existing ones
Evaluating new eLearning materials and setting goals and benchmarks for learners
Coordinating with subject matter experts to review course materials
Analyzing data about learner performance and making improvements
Researching the latest trends in education and instructional design
Collecting and implementing feedback from program reviews
Training teachers, managers, and other relevant professionals on how to deliver learning materials

Instructional designers work in various industries, such as education, corporate, government, nonprofit, and healthcare. They may work as employees, freelancers, or consultants. They need to have a combination of education, experience, and skills that demonstrate their ability to design effective and engaging learning solutions. Some of the skills and qualifications that are in high demand for instructional designers are discussed in the Skills and Qualifications section of this article.

What is the highest salary of Instructional Designer?

The highest salary of an instructional designer depends on several factors, such as the country, state, industry, company, and experience level of the professional. However, based on the available data from various sources, some of the possible answers are:

The highest salary of an instructional designer in the US is $150k per year, according to Glassdoor, which is the average salary reported by instructional designers who work for Google.
The highest salary of an instructional designer worldwide is $183k per year, according to Devlin Peck’s survey, which is the highest salary reported by an instructional designer who works in Switzerland.
The highest salary of an instructional designer in India is ₹29 lakhs per year, according to 6figr, which is the highest reported salary offered as an instructional designer in India.

For more information on how the salary level of instructional designers varies by country, state, industry, company, and experience level, please refer to the Average Instructional Designer Salary in the US and Average Instructional Designer Salary Worldwide sections of this article.

How much does Microsoft pay Instructional Designer?

The salary of an instructional designer at Microsoft depends on several factors, such as the location, experience level, and performance of the professional. However, based on the available data from various sources, some of the possible answers are:

The average salary of an instructional designer at Microsoft in the US is $134k per year, according to Glassdoor, which is based on 10 salary reports from instructional designers who work for Microsoft. The salary range is between $90k and $170k per year, depending on the base pay, bonus, and stock.
The average salary of an instructional designer at Microsoft in India is ₹16 lakhs per year, according to 6figr, which is based on 2 salary reports from instructional designers who work for Microsoft. The salary range is between ₹14 lakhs and ₹18 lakhs per year.
The average salary of an instructional designer at Microsoft worldwide is $133k per year, according to Zippia, which is based on 4 salary reports from instructional designers who work for Microsoft in different countries.

Is being an Instructional Designer stressful?

Being an instructional designer can be stressful or not, depending on various factors, such as the nature of the project, the expectations of the client, the workload and deadlines, the level of autonomy and support, and the personal preferences and coping skills of the professional. However, some general points that can help answer this question are:

Being an instructional designer can be less stressful than being a teacher, especially in terms of classroom management, student behavior, standardized testing, and administrative tasks. Many teachers who transition to instructional design report higher job satisfaction and lower stress levels.
Being an instructional designer can provide more flexibility and balance than being a teacher, especially for those who work remotely or as freelancers. Instructional designers can often set their own schedule, choose their own projects, and work from anywhere. They can also pursue other hobbies, spend time with family, or simply enjoy life.
Being an instructional designer can also be challenging and demanding, especially in terms of meeting the needs and expectations of diverse learners, clients, and stakeholders. Instructional designers need to have a variety of skills and knowledge, such as learning theory, instructional design models, e-learning development tools, project management tools, communication skills, etc. They also need to keep up with the latest trends and technologies in the field.
Being an instructional designer can also be rewarding and fulfilling, especially in terms of creating effective and engaging learning experiences that make a positive impact on learners and organizations. Instructional designers can use their creativity, expertise, and passion to design solutions that solve real-world problems and improve performance outcomes.

Conclusion

In this article, we have provided a comprehensive and updated guide on base salary for instructional designer in 2023. We have covered the following topics:

Average instructional designer in the united states
Average instructional designer salary worldwide
How to increase your instructional designer salary in 2023
FAQs

We have also discussed some of the factors that affect the salary level of instructional designers, such as location, industry, company, experience level, skills, and qualifications. We have also shared some real-life examples of how much instructional designers make in different settings and scenarios.

Instructional design is an important and in-demand role in various industries and sectors, such as education, corporate, government, nonprofit, and healthcare. Instructional designers create effective and engaging learning materials and experiences for various audiences and contexts. Instructional designers report high job satisfaction, earn above-average salaries, and enjoy good work-life balance.

If you are interested in pursuing or advancing your career as an instructional designer in 2023, here are some actionable steps or recommendations for you:

Research the market rate and the salary range for instructional designers in your desired location, industry, company, and role.
Upgrade your skills and qualifications by learning new tools, technologies, and best practices in the field of instructional design.
Negotiate a higher salary or a raise by documenting your achievements and impact, highlighting your unique value proposition, preparing a counteroffer, etc.
Explore different opportunities and challenges that can affect your career growth and salary prospects as an instructional designer in 2023, such as remote work trends, online learning trends, COVID-19 impact, etc.

We hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have any feedback, questions, or comments on this article, please feel free to share them with us. We would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading!

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