Lead Instructional Designer Salary in the United States
How much does a Lead Instructional Designer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Instructional Designer in the United States is $93,068 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $45.
However, a Lead Instructional Designer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $110,511
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $82,868 to $102,198
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $73,581
10%$73,581
50% (Median)$93,068
90%$110,511
Lead Instructional Designer Salaries by Percentile
Key Factors That Influence Lead Instructional Designer Salaries
A Lead Instructional Designer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Lead Instructional Designer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Instructional Designer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Lead Instructional Designer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lead Instructional Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Top Paying Cities for Lead Instructional Designers
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $117,386
San Francisco: $116,101
Oakland: $113,654
San Jose, CA$117,386
San Francisco, CA$116,101
Oakland, CA$113,654
New York, NY$107,157
Paramus, NJ$105,854
Queens Village, NY$105,850
Passaic, NJ$105,761
Bergenfield, NJ$105,753
Stamford, CT$105,548
Huntington, NY$105,510
Newark, NJ$104,822
Bridgeport, CT$104,626
Vallejo, CA$104,441
New Brunswick, NJ$104,403
Petaluma, CA$104,348
Middlesex, NJ$104,171
Somerset, NJ$104,106
Santa Cruz, CA$103,985
Boston, MA$103,417
Monterey, CA$103,090
Seattle, WA$102,877
Santa Rosa, CA$102,858
Los Angeles, CA$102,831
Juneau, AK$102,589
Washington, DC$102,486
Orange, CA$102,155
Santa Ana, CA$101,909
Long Beach, CA$101,816
Anaheim, CA$101,797
Anchorage, AK$101,751
Santa Maria, CA$101,472
Everett, WA$101,453
Danbury, CT$101,126
Bremerton, WA$100,997
Tacoma, WA$100,662
New Suffolk, NY$100,660
Sacramento, CA$100,634
Santa Barbara, CA$100,532
Trenton, NJ$100,429
San Diego, CA$100,429
Brockton, MA$100,327
Fairbanks, AK$100,099
Lompoc, CA$99,862
Lowell, MA$99,786
Ventura, CA$99,769
Nashua, NH$99,750
Stockton, CA$99,741
Modesto, CA$99,061
Poughkeepsie, NY$98,857
Olympia, WA$98,680
Kennewick, WA$98,680
New Haven, CT$98,642
Lawrence, MA$98,307
Hartford, CT$98,214
Riverside, CA$98,196
New Bedford, MA$98,103
Richland, WA$98,103
Bakersfield, CA$97,972
San Bernardino, CA$97,935
New Britain, CT$97,926
Atlantic City, NJ$97,926
New London, CT$97,889
Norwich, CT$97,861
Portsmouth, NH$97,842
Boulder, CO$97,645
Portland, OR$97,516
Worcester, MA$97,507
Minneapolis, MN$97,219
Philadelphia, PA$97,088
Honolulu, HI$96,781
Saint Paul, MN$96,736
Vineland, NJ$96,716
Providence, RI$96,446
Chicago, IL$96,176
Bellingham, WA$96,064
Springfield, MA$95,990
Baltimore, MD$95,962
Chico, CA$95,729
Pittsfield, MA$95,478
Manchester, NH$95,301
Spokane, WA$94,892
Denver, CO$94,883
Albany, NY$94,445
Troy, NY$94,408
Nassau, NY$94,308
Schenectady, NY$94,212
Wilmington, DE$94,138
Burlington, VT$94,008
Salem, OR$93,970
Portland, ME$93,682
Yakima, WA$93,589
Rochester, MN$93,300
Reno, NV$93,254
Fresno, CA$93,254
Milwaukee, WI$93,170
Detroit, MI$93,077
Ann Arbor, MI$93,061
Allentown, PA$93,049
Colorado Springs, CO$92,891
Syracuse, NY$92,844
Carson City, NV$92,844
Houston, TX$92,714
Eugene, OR$92,668
Gary, IN$92,556
Springfield, OR$92,481
Bismarck, ND$92,463
Galveston, TX$92,398
Medford, OR$92,258
Fort Collins, CO$92,221
Concord, NH$92,174
Austin, TX$92,146
Mesa, AZ$91,951
Reading, PA$91,942
Phoenix, AZ$91,932
Dallas, TX$91,904
Saint Cloud, MN$91,815
Madison, WI$91,690
Utica, NY$91,439
Rochester, NY$91,290
Des Moines, IA$91,281
Raleigh, NC$91,271
Atlanta, GA$91,132
Battle Creek, MI$91,104
Salt Lake City, UT$91,076
Lancaster, PA$90,936
Harrisburg, PA$90,806
Kansas City, MO$90,713
Champaign, IL$90,694
Kansas City, KS$90,694
Fort Worth, TX$90,685
Columbus, OH$90,669
Boca Raton, FL$90,648
Pittsburgh, PA$90,611
Richmond, VA$90,573
Indianapolis, IN$90,555
Cleveland, OH$90,546
Las Vegas, NV$90,434
Cincinnati, OH$90,434
Petersburg, VA$90,294
Huntsville, AL$90,155
Lansing, MI$90,092
Lebanon, PA$90,080
Pueblo, CO$90,071
Appleton, WI$90,043
Buffalo, NY$90,006
Dayton, OH$89,978
Racine, WI$89,959
Charlotte, NC$89,950
Saint Louis, MO$89,922
York, PA$89,866
Elkhart, IN$89,866
Gastonia, NC$89,848
Billings, MT$89,826
Beaumont, TX$89,801
Lorain, OH$89,782
Benton Harbor, MI$89,764
Toledo, OH$89,745
Binghamton, NY$89,699
Rock Hill, SC$89,689
Rockford, IL$89,643
Springfield, IL$89,606
Elyria, OH$89,596
Fargo, ND$89,596
Flagstaff, AZ$89,531
Fort Lauderdale, FL$89,475
Duluth, MN$89,419
Miami, FL$89,419
Cheyenne, WY$89,354
Grand Forks, ND$89,354
Bangor, ME$89,150
Cedar Rapids, IA$89,047
Durham, NC$89,008
Louisville, KY$89,001
Grand Rapids, MI$88,982
Hialeah, FL$88,973
Casper, WY$88,842
Scranton, PA$88,731
New Orleans, LA$88,703
Virginia Beach, VA$88,694
Akron, OH$88,647
Peoria, IL$88,526
Sarasota, FL$88,507
Nashville, TN$88,442
Omaha, NE$88,442
Green Bay, WI$88,442
Baton Rouge, LA$88,396
Charleston, SC$88,377
Jamestown, NY$88,331
Davenport, IA$88,331
Tucson, AZ$88,284
Saint Petersburg, FL$88,228
Tampa, FL$88,210
Evansville, IN$88,154
Port Arthur, TX$88,154
Bradenton, FL$88,116
Santa Fe, NM$87,949
Orlando, FL$87,781
Clearwater, FL$87,754
Canton, OH$87,558
La Crosse, WI$87,558
Albuquerque, NM$87,502
Newport News, VA$87,493
High Point, NC$87,465
Ogden, UT$87,428
Corpus Christi, TX$87,353
Norfolk, VA$87,298
Laramie, WY$87,298
Rock Island, IL$87,242
Saginaw, MI$87,223
Jacksonville, FL$87,214
Salisbury, NC$87,195
Boise, ID$87,177
Moline, IL$87,130
Fort Myers, FL$87,102
Memphis, TN$87,083
Tulsa, OK$87,037
Waterloo, IA$86,981
Spartanburg, SC$86,888
Lincoln, NE$86,841
Fort Wayne, IN$86,823
Provo, UT$86,814
Cedar Falls, IA$86,702
San Antonio, TX$86,665
Greensboro, NC$86,627
South Bend, IN$86,618
Savannah, GA$86,516
Muskegon, MI$86,479
Birmingham, AL$86,469
Winston Salem, NC$86,424
Lake Charles, LA$86,199
Anderson, IN$86,181
Lexington, KY$86,153
Augusta, GA$86,125
Greenville, SC$86,125
Lima, OH$86,050
Wichita, KS$86,041
Tuscaloosa, AL$86,041
Columbia, SC$85,957
Springfield, OH$85,939
Asheville, NC$85,790
Bloomington, IN$85,725
Knoxville, TN$85,390
Shreveport, LA$85,380
Wilmington, NC$85,259
Roanoke, VA$85,259
Topeka, KS$85,092
Frankfort, KY$85,082
Oklahoma City, OK$85,017
Chillicothe, OH$84,980
Longview, TX$84,971
Melbourne, FL$84,962
Sioux Falls, SD$84,813
Mobile, AL$84,803
Terre Haute, IN$84,766
Altoona, PA$84,710
Amarillo, TX$84,645
Killeen, TX$84,617
Fayetteville, AR$84,543
Chattanooga, TN$84,515
Sioux City, IA$84,431
Idaho Falls, ID$84,412
Lynchburg, VA$84,338
Gainesville, FL$84,217
Portsmouth, OH$84,170
Little Rock, AR$84,152
Lafayette, LA$84,115
Youngstown, OH$84,115
Daytona Beach, FL$84,059
Clarksville, TN$84,049
Pensacola, FL$84,040
Temple, TX$84,034
Hopkinsville, KY$83,761
Erie, PA$83,742
Florence, SC$83,705
Charleston, WV$83,556
Great Falls, MT$83,510
Macon, GA$83,379
Tallahassee, FL$83,370
Fayetteville, NC$83,351
Waco, TX$83,333
Helena, MT$83,268
Pine Bluff, AR$83,232
Vincennes, IN$83,119
Lubbock, TX$83,082
Alamogordo, NM$83,026
Twin Falls, ID$82,942
Rapid City, SD$82,914
Jackson, MS$82,746
Huntington, WV$82,740
Greenville, MS$82,737
Parkersburg, WV$82,642
Montgomery, AL$82,626
Wichita Falls, TX$82,532
Springfield, MO$82,532
Biloxi, MS$82,486
Monroe, LA$82,393
Johnstown, PA$82,328
Sumter, SC$82,290
Columbus, GA$82,281
Pascagoula, MS$82,104
Abilene, TX$82,104
Kingsport, TN$81,862
Albany, GA$81,862
Gulfport, MS$81,834
Alexandria, LA$81,527
Fort Smith, AR$81,295
El Paso, TX$81,043
Las Cruces, NM$80,625
Harlingen, TX$80,388
Pocatello, ID$80,373
Florence, AL$80,252
Brownsville, TX$80,234
Mcallen, TX$80,038
Dothan, AL$79,908
Columbus, MS$79,355
Altus, OK$78,921
Lawton, OK$78,745
Pierre, SD$78,410
What Skills Can Increase a Lead Instructional Designer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 4.94% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Multimedia (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): Multimedia is a computerized method of presenting information combining textual data, audio, visuals (video), graphics and animations.
PowerPoint (Mentioned in 1.65% Job Postings): A computer software created by Microsoft which allows the user to create slides with recordings, narrations, transitions and other features in order to present information.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead Instructional Designer's salary.
Infection Control: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Medical Education: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Lead Instructional Designer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Lead Instructional Designer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Internet
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 18% above the average.
In contrast, Lead Instructional Designer positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Lead Instructional Designer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Lead Instructional Designer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$109,820
$53.0
18%
Internet
$106,097
$51.0
14%
Aerospace & Defense
$104,236
$50.0
12%
Energy & Utilities
$102,374
$49.0
10%
Financial Services
$102,374
$49.0
10%
Lead Instructional Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Lead Instructional Designer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$82,868
Average$93,068/year
$102,198
$6,906
Average$7,756/month
$8,517
$1,594
Average$1,790/week
$1,965
$40
Average$45/hour
$49
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$102,198
$8,517
$1,965
$49
Average
$93,068
$7,756
$1,790
$45
25th Percentile
$82,868
$6,906
$1,594
$40
Salaries of Jobs related to Lead Instructional Designer
Salaries for a Lead Instructional Designer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $84,561 in 2023
to around $84,394 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Lead Instructional Designer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Lead Instructional Designer Over Time
$???
$84,561
$84,983
$84,394
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$84,561
2024
$84,983
2025
$84,394
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Lead Instructional Designer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Lead Instructional Designer
Here are companies hiring for Lead Instructional Designer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Lead Instructional Designer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Lead Instructional Designer?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Lead Instructional Designer roles,
with salaries approximately 18% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
