Side-by-side distribution
Instructional Designer
$115,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 20.1%
- Live roles
- 154
School Administrator
$121,250
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 55.6%
- Live roles
- 18
Highest-paying jobs
Instructional Designer
Senior Instructional Designer
Senior Learning Designer, Indian Languages
Learning Experience Designer
Instructional Designer
Sr. Learning Experience Designer, Global LXD Studio
Learning and Development Instructional Designer, Quality
Instructional Designer, RapidLearning
Instructional Designer
AI Learning Experience Designer (AI-LXD)
Highest-paying jobs
Middle School Principal NYC | Charter School Leadership
Elementary School Principal NYC | Charter School Leadership
ReGeneration Schools (Chicago), Elementary School Principal
Principal, North Lawndale College Preparatory Charter High School
2026-27 Middle School Assistant Principal of STEM
Founding Assistant Principal NYC | K–1 Charter School
Assistant Principal of Specialized Services - 2026/2027 School Year (Lenfest Campus-Center City)
Assistant Principal Humanities NYC | Middle School Leadership
Middle School STEM Assistant Principal | NYC
High School Assistant Principal (26-27)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Esri
|
$91,000 | 5 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$123,000 | 3 |
Metropolis
|
$80,000 | 2 |
Inovalon
|
$70,050 | 2 |
|
Fivetran
|
$181,568 | 1 |
|
Verkada
|
$180,000 | 1 |
|
Duolingo
|
$168,000 | 1 |
|
Applied Intuition
|
$145,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Zeta Charter Schools
|
$117,500 | 5 |
|
Edgility Search
|
$135,000 | 1 |
|
Brilla Schools
|
$130,440 | 1 |
|
Alma Advisory Group
|
$125,000 | 1 |
|
Masterycharter
|
$116,775 | 1 |
|
Alpha Public Schools
|
$100,000 | 1 |
School Administrator salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $130,440 | 5 |
Instructional Designer vs School Administrator: which pays more?
The median for Instructional Designer is $115,000 per year (typically $82,500–$130,500), versus $121,250 for School Administrator ($111,694–$133,860). That puts School Administrator about 5% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Instructional Designer and School Administrator 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.