Side-by-side distribution
Instructional Designer
$98,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 14%
- Live roles
- 157
Professor
$70,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 30%
- Live roles
- 20
Highest-paying jobs
Assessment Designer & Learning Analyst
Instructional System Designer
Sr. Learning Experience Designer, Global LXD Studio
Instructional Designer, RapidLearning
Instructional Designer
Instructional Designer ( onsite)
Instructional Designer
Learning Designer
Principal Learning Experience Designer
Sr. Instructional Designer
Highest-paying jobs
Hourly Paid Lecturer - Games Programming
Hourly Paid Lecturer - Games Programming
Chemistry Professor- Content/Curriculum Writer
Biochemistry Professor - Content/Curriculum Writer
Senior Lecturer Audio - SAE London - INTERNAL VACANCY
Teaching Assistant - Professor Rogowsky (Spring 2026 C91386)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Esri
|
$91,000 | 5 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$123,000 | 3 |
|
Mercor
|
$132,500 | 2 |
FreedomCare
|
$75,000 | 2 |
|
Peloton
|
$137,725 | 1 |
|
Helion
|
$136,000 | 1 |
|
MKS2 Technologies
|
$125,000 | 1 |
|
OneTrust
|
$105,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
AD Education
|
$93,147 | 3 |
|
UWorld, LLC
|
$70,000 | 2 |
|
Middlebury College
|
$36,296 | 1 |
Instructional Designer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | $91,000 | 5 |
Instructional Designer vs Professor: which pays more?
The median for Instructional Designer is $98,000 per year (typically $75,992–$124,500), versus $70,000 for Professor ($56,466–$70,000). That puts Instructional Designer about 40% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Instructional Designer and Professor are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.