Side-by-side distribution
Instructional Designer
$98,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 14%
- Live roles
- 157
School Administrator
$110,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 60%
- Live roles
- 25
Highest-paying jobs
Assessment Designer & Learning Analyst
Instructional System Designer
Sr. Learning Experience Designer, Global LXD Studio
Instructional Designer, RapidLearning
Instructional Designer
Instructional Designer
Instructional Designer ( onsite)
Learning Designer
Principal Learning Experience Designer
Sr. Instructional Designer
Highest-paying jobs
Elementary School Principal NYC | Charter School Leadership
Middle School Principal NYC | Charter School Leadership
ReGeneration Schools (Chicago), Elementary School Principal
Principal, North Lawndale College Preparatory Charter High School
High School Principal (26-27 SY, NY)
Founding Assistant Principal NYC | K–1 Charter School
Assistant Principal (26-27 High School)
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 |
|
Mercor
|
$132,500 | 2 |
HelloFresh
|
$76,060 | 2 |
FreedomCare
|
$75,000 | 2 |
|
Peloton
|
$137,725 | 1 |
|
Helion
|
$136,000 | 1 |
|
MKS2 Technologies
|
$125,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Zeta Charter Schools
|
$117,500 | 5 |
Masterycharter
|
$5,000 | 4 |
|
Democracy Prep Public Schools
|
$141,000 | 1 |
|
Edgility Search
|
$135,000 | 1 |
|
Alma Advisory Group
|
$125,000 | 1 |
|
Veritas Preparatory Charter School
|
$105,000 | 1 |
|
Alpha Public Schools
|
$100,000 | 1 |
ACCEL Schools
|
$47,500 | 1 |
Instructional Designer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | $91,000 | 5 |
School Administrator salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $141,000 | 5 |
Instructional Designer vs School Administrator: which pays more?
The median for Instructional Designer is $98,000 per year (typically $75,992–$124,500), versus $110,000 for School Administrator ($58,350–$130,000). That puts School Administrator about 12% 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.