Spot a skill students keep missing
Compare test scores across a spreadsheet, and if one skill keeps slipping, ask whether the materials need changing.
Career profile
Instructional Coordinator
Instructional coordinators help teachers choose, improve and use the materials students learn from.
Where do students keep getting stuck? You find out, rewrite the course content, and guide teachers as they take up new approaches.
A day in the life
Match textbook activities to learning goals
Check each textbook activity against what students should learn, then advise teachers on which resources to adopt.
Sit in on a teacher's class
You watch the lesson, then afterward discuss what students grasped and one change worth trying.
Show a new teaching approach
Demonstrate the approach first on a sample course module, then help instructors rework the materials they already use.
Quick facts
Master’s + experience
United States · 2025
$77,440/year
United States · May 2025
1.6% growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Master’s + experienceTypical entry preparation includes a master’s degree and at least five years of related work experience.
Pay
$77,440/yearNational median; hourly equivalent $37.23.
Outlook
1.6% growthAbout 23,100 openings annually are projected nationwide over 2025–2035.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy figuring out why an explanation did not work.
- You can give useful feedback while listening carefully.
- You like revising materials after seeing results.
Things to weigh
- Expect year-round work, often with meetings outside classroom hours.
- In college course-development teams, several projects can compete for attention while course deadlines stay fixed.
Where AI may help
Artificial intelligence (AI) can help generate lesson drafts and suggest instructional resources or assessment questions.
What people still lead
You still need to check accuracy, judge whether activities match learning goals, and weigh whether a resource actually helps students.
What we can’t predict yet
How much drafting these tools can take over—and how much checking they create—remains unsettled. Responsibility for catching errors also has to be shared with tool developers.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use the median as a comparison point, not a starting-salary promise.
The national spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned below $47,980; the highest-paid 10% earned above $121,670. These are wage thresholds, not career stages.
Workplace pay differs
Annual medians were $82,130 in local elementary and secondary schools, $73,070 in private colleges and universities, and $61,810 in state colleges and universities.
Openings exceed new jobs
Projected employment grows by about 4,100 jobs over the decade, while annual openings average 23,100. Openings include replacing people who leave the occupation.
Getting started
Build from classroom experience
- What the route involves
- Combine teaching experience with a master’s in education or curriculum and instruction.
- What it can lead to
- This prepares you for school curriculum positions; some require specific subject or grade-level experience.
- What to check
- Public-school roles may require a teaching or administrator license. Check your state education agency’s requirements.
Enter through instructional design
- What the route involves
- Earn a relevant bachelor’s degree and learn online course-design principles, including how to organize learning activities.
- What it can lead to
- Some Instructional Designer I roles accept applicants without previous experience to support course development under general supervision.
- What to check
- Requirements vary by employer; this route does not establish eligibility for a licensed school position.
School curriculum roles and instructional designer roles can have different entry requirements.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Start with a manageable course revision. Learn how instructors and the multimedia team move materials from draft to use.
Develop your judgment
Take a course through planning, activities, and assessment. Practice explaining your design choices to the instructor and keeping the project on schedule.
Move toward senior design work
Build deeper experience supporting faculty and designing online learning. Senior instructional designer roles are one next step; some require further graduate education.
Where you can work
School districts
Combine office work with school visits, classroom observations, and conversations about curriculum.
- Office
- Indoors
- Travel
College distance-education teams
Work with faculty on online courses, using course-management software and digital media. Accessibility checks and course launch deadlines shape the work.
- Office
- Indoors
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Choose two freely available lessons on a topic you know. Compare their learning goal, activity, and final question. Write a short recommendation to a teacher explaining which lesson you would choose and one change you would make. Notice whether you enjoy judging the whole learning sequence.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 25-9031.00 — Instructional Coordinators. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Instructional Coordinators — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Texas A&M AgriLife. Instructional Designer I — Job Description. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Del Mar College. Instructional Designer — Position Description. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Department of Education. Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence: An Essential Guide for Developers. Accessed 2026-10-02.