Side-by-side distribution
Instructional Designer
$102,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 13.1%
- Live roles
- 153
Teacher
$47,340
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 60.3%
- Live roles
- 1,512
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
Sr. Instructional Designer
Sr. Instructional Designer
Highest-paying jobs
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
GA PreK Assistant Teacher
Lead Preschool Teacher
NEW SCHOOL - Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
Lead GA Pre-K Teacher
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
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 |
Hhaexchange
|
$87,500 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
ACCEL Schools
|
$45,000 | 165 |
Guidepost Montessori
|
$44,500 | 70 |
Kreyco
|
$39,000 | 54 |
Masterycharter
|
$5,000 | 46 |
Sunshine House
|
$33,280 | 41 |
Hightechhigh
|
$90,052 | 37 |
|
O2B Early Education
|
$520,000 | 32 |
Freedom Leisure
|
$48,064 | 29 |
Instructional Designer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | $91,000 | 5 |
Teacher salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $102,000 | 3 |
| New York | $81,000 | 127 |
| Chicago | $45,000 | 11 |
| San Francisco | $39,000 | 15 |
| Los Angeles | $39,000 | 3 |
Instructional Designer vs Teacher: which pays more?
The median for Instructional Designer is $102,500 per year (typically $77,977–$125,000), versus $47,340 for Teacher ($39,000–$73,355). That puts Instructional Designer about 117% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Instructional Designer and Teacher 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.