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Instructional Coordinator

$77,440
median / year
$47,980 – $121,670
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Develop curriculum and teaching standards, and train teachers to use new materials and methods.

You may also see this posted as: Curriculum and Instruction Director, Curriculum Coordinator, Instructional Designer, Instructional Technologist, Curriculum Director, Curriculum Specialist.

Where you work

School district and college offices.

The hours

Regular full-time, year-round schedule

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Observe work of teaching staff to evaluate performance and to recommend changes that could strengthen teaching skills.
  • Plan and conduct teacher training programs and conferences dealing with new classroom procedures, instructional materials and equipment, and teaching aids.
  • Interpret and enforce provisions of state education codes and rules and regulations of state education boards.
  • Conduct or participate in workshops, committees, and conferences designed to promote the intellectual, social, and physical welfare of students.
  • Advise teaching and administrative staff in curriculum development, use of materials and equipment, and implementation of state and federal programs and procedures.

Good fit if you like…

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 5 of 5

Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

InnovationDependabilityCooperationIntellectual Curiosity

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Articulate StorylineLearning management system LMSMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPoint

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$77,440
per year
Hourly median
$37.23
per hour
What most earn
$47,980–$121,670
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~21,900
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+1.3%
Little change
Working in the U.S.
227,760
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 3.3% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Master's degree

Training path: Master's degree.

Related work experience: 5 years or more.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

Some states require a teaching or education administrator license for these roles.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Curriculum designData analysisTrainingCommunication

The honest take

A step off the classroom track into curriculum and training, usually after teaching first.

Standard Occupational Classification 25-9031. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.