How Much Can I Expect to Earn?

We all want to be fairly compensated for our hard work. Thanks to employment websites such as Glassdoor and Indeed, finding information about national average salaries is easier than ever!

The following list shows the average national salary (rounded to the nearest thousandths place) of IDT-related positions based on data from Glassdoor (G) and Indeed (I), as reported in February 2020, and on data from the American Association of University Professors’ Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession: 2017-18 (AAUP).
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eLearning Salary Calculator
Salary and Compensation Report
​Occupational Outlook Handbook

Salaries in the Corporate Sector

​Under $50,000
  • Training Coordinator: $46k (G), $48k (I)
  • Graphic Designer: $46k (G), $41k (I)
  • Technical Writer: $57k (G), $34k (I)
  • LMS Administrator: $48k (G), N/A (I)

Between $50,000 and $70,000
  • Training Specialist: $53k (G), $64k (I)
  • Corporate Trainer: $54k (G), $63k (I)
  • Senior Graphic Designer: $55k (G), $62k (I)
  • Exhibit Designer: $58k (G), N/A (I)
  • Learning Experience Designer: 61k (G), N/A (I)
  • Instructional Designer: $61k (G), $62k (I)
  • Learning and Development Project Manager: $66k (G), N/A (I)
  • Curriculum Manager: $69k (G), $53k (I)
  • Training Manager: $66k (G), $67k (I)

Between $70,000 and $90,000
  • Learning and Development Consultant: $63k (G), $80k (I)
  • Senior Technical Writer: $68k (G), $84k (I)
  • Senior Instructional Designer: $71k (G), $88k (I)
  • eLearning Developer: $77k (G), N/A (I)
  • eLearning Manager: $81k (G), 72k (I)
  • Learning and Development Manager $81k (G), $83k (I)
  • Training Director: $87k (G), $77k (I)

Above $90,000
  • Director of Learning and Development: $126k (G), N/A (I)
  • Chief Learning Officer: $170k (G), N/A (I)

Salaries in the Academic Sector

​Under $50,000​​
  • Curriculum Coordinator: $43k (G), N/A (I)
  • Elementary School Teacher: $44k (G), $44k (I)
  • Middle School Teacher: $44k (G), N/A (I)
  • Distance Learning Coordinator: $46k (G), N/A (I)
  • LMS Administrator: $48k (G), N/A (I)
  • Library Media Specialist: $48 (G), N/A (I)
​
Between $50,000 and $70,000
  • IT Librarian: $51k (G), N/A (I)
  • High School Teacher: $51k (G), $48k (I)
  • Lecturer: $53k (G), $48 (I), $51k (AAUP)
  • Instructional Designer: $61k (G), $62k (I)
  • Curriculum Developer: $61k (G), N/A (I)
  • Curriculum Manager: $69 (G), 54k (I)
  • Technology Coordinator: $71k (G), $51k (I)

Between $70,000 and $90,000
  • Assistant Professor: $74 (G), $60 (I), $71k (AAUP)
  • Associate Professor: $75k (G), $80k (I), $81k (AAUP)
  • Senior Instructional Designer: $71k (G), $88k (I)
  • Psychometrician: $81k (G), N/A (I) 

Above $90,000
  • Full Professor: $104k (G), N/A (I), $105k (AAUP)

eLearning Guild US Salary Calculator

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The eLearning Guild US Salary Calculator
The eLearning Guild also has a nifty eLearning salary calculator to estimate your salary based on your state, education, job focus, job level, years of experience, industry, company size, and whether or not you work in a metro area.

eLearning Guild - Global eLearning Salary and Compensation Report

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The eLearning Guild Global eLearning Salary and Compensation Report
The eLearning Guild conducts an annual report about the salaries of eLearning professionals throughout the world. The complete report is free to eLearning Guild members (membership is free!) and can be found here.

Some highlights about eLearning professionals in the United States from the 2018 report:
  • The average salary was $84,421.
  • Manager salaries were 20% higher than individual contributor salaries.
  • Organizations in major metro areas payed 8% more than organizations in non-metro areas.
  • 42% of respondents worked remotely.

More Salary Information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts research about occupations in the United States and publishes their findings in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, a free online resource.

The handbook covers over 800 occupations. At least three of those occupations fall within the IDT field:
​Here are some highlights from each of the sections from the 2018 handbook. (For additional information, select the links above.)

Instructional Coordinator (K-12 and Higher Ed)
  • The 2018 median salary was $65,450 per year, or $30.98 per hour.
  • Instructional coordinators generally need a master's degree in education, curriculum and instruction, or a related field.
  • Employment of instructional coordinators is expected to grow 6 percent between 2018 and 2028 (about average for all occupations).
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics's Occupational Outlook Handbook
Training and Development Specialist (Corporate)
  • The 2018 median salary was $60,870 per year.
  • Training and development specialists generally need a bachelor's degree in training and development, human resources, education, or instructional design, or a related field. Some also have degrees in business administration. Work experience and good communication skills are required.
  • Employment of instructional coordinators is expected to grow 9 percent between 2018 and 2028 (faster than average).

Training and Development Managers (Corporate)
  • The 2018 median salary was $111,340 per year, or $53.53 per hour.
  • Training and development managers generally require a bachelor's degree or a master's degree. Training and development managers come from a variety of educational backgrounds, including human resources, business administration, and education. Related work experience is critical. Experience in information technology may be helpful.
  • Employment of instructional coordinators is expected to grow 8 percent between 2018 and 2028 (faster than average).