Also called: Learning experience designer, Curriculum designer
Designs online courses, training programs, and learning experiences that actually teach people.
Instructional designers interview experts, write learning goals, storyboard lessons, build interactive modules, and test whether learners improve. They work for companies, universities, hospitals, and the government, often remotely.
Estimate; corporate designers earn more than BLS instructional coordinators (~$75k).
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's degree; many earn a master's or certificate in instructional design. Former teachers often switch into this.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Instructional Design, Education, Psychology.
Growing about average. Demand steady; AI is changing how content gets built.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI drafts objectives, storyboards and quizzes in minutes, so fewer junior designers are hired; expert interviews and testing stay human.
Classes: AP English Language, AP Psychology, Graphic design or computer applications.
Official data: O*NET occupation 25-9031.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.