Side-by-side distribution
Instructional Designer
$85,050
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 12.2%
- Live roles
- 147
Professor
$81,574
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 45.8%
- Live roles
- 24
Highest-paying jobs
Instructional System Designer
Instructional Designer, RapidLearning
Learning Experience Designer
Instructional Designer
Instructional Designer ( onsite)
Senior Learning Experience Designer
Senior Learning Experience Designer
Principal Learning Experience Designer
Sr. Instructional Designer
Learning Experience Designer
Highest-paying jobs
Hourly Paid Lecturer - Games Programming
Hourly Paid Lecturer - Game Art & Animation Lecturer - London
Hourly Paid Lecturer - Games Programming
Hourly Paid Lecturer, Web - AD Education - London
Hourly Paid Lecturer, Film - AD Education - London
Hourly Paid Lecturer, VFX - AD Education - London
Biochemistry Professor - Content/Curriculum Writer
Chemistry Professor- Content/Curriculum Writer
Senior Lecturer Audio - SAE London - INTERNAL VACANCY
Lecturer in Christian Ministry and Director of the Certificate in Ministry
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$118,500 | 2 |
|
Modern Family Law
|
$80,000 | 2 |
FreedomCare
|
$75,000 | 2 |
|
Helion
|
$136,000 | 1 |
|
MKS2 Technologies
|
$125,000 | 1 |
|
IMC
|
$125,000 | 1 |
|
Twilio
|
$112,230 | 1 |
| ML Mission Lane | $109,625 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
AD Education
|
$93,147 | 7 |
|
UWorld, LLC
|
$70,000 | 2 |
|
Stark College & Seminary
|
$45,000 | 1 |
Middlebury College
|
$36,296 | 1 |
Professor salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| London | $93,147 | 5 |
Instructional Designer vs Professor: which pays more?
The median for Instructional Designer is $85,050 per year (typically $75,625–$113,558), versus $81,574 for Professor ($59,849–$93,147). That puts Instructional Designer about 4% 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.