How much does an Instructional Writer make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for an Instructional Writer in the United States is $87,198 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.
However, an Instructional Writer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $95,953
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $80,244 to $91,781
Key Factors That Influence Instructional Writer Salaries
An Instructional Writer'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Instructional Writer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Instructional Writer'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:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $62,375
Early Career (1-2 years): $70,372
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $86,861
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $103,062
Expert (over 8 years): $102,001
Levels
Salary
Copywrite... Level Instructional Writer
$62,375
Copywrite... Level Instructional Writer
$70,372
Instructi... Level Instructional Writer
$86,861
Copywrite... Level Instructional Writer
$103,062
Copywriti... Level Instructional Writer
$102,001
$62,3750 yr
$70,372< 2 yrs
$86,8612-4 yrs
$103,0625-8 yrs
$102,001> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Instructional Writer 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 Instructional Writers.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $96,545.
California: $96,179.
Massachusetts: $94,897.
District of Columbia$96,545
California$96,179
Massachusetts$94,897
Washington$94,548
New Jersey$94,514
Alaska$94,392
Connecticut$93,188
New York$92,700
Hawaii$91,139
Rhode Island$90,407
Maryland$89,910
Minnesota$89,229
Colorado$88,968
Illinois$88,881
Oregon$88,549
Delaware$88,305
New Hampshire$88,152
Virginia$87,808
Pennsylvania$86,805
Nevada$86,300
North Dakota$86,134
Michigan$85,872
Wisconsin$85,776
Vermont$85,585
Texas$85,053
Maine$85,018
Arizona$84,965
Ohio$84,904
Georgia$84,102
Indiana$83,701
Wyoming$83,623
Utah$83,501
Iowa$83,448
Kansas$83,030
Louisiana$82,908
North Carolina$82,864
Missouri$82,847
Florida$82,506
Montana$82,323
Nebraska$82,149
Kentucky$82,053
South Carolina$81,704
Tennessee$81,486
Idaho$81,399
New Mexico$80,763
Oklahoma$80,623
Alabama$80,109
South Dakota$79,245
Arkansas$78,774
West Virginia$78,522
Mississippi$77,763
Top Paying Cities for Instructional Writers
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: $109,982
San Francisco: $108,778
Oakland: $106,486
San Jose, CA$109,982
San Francisco, CA$108,778
Oakland, CA$106,486
New York, NY$100,399
Paramus, NJ$99,178
Queens Village, NY$99,173
Passaic, NJ$99,091
Bergenfield, NJ$99,083
Stamford, CT$98,891
Huntington, NY$98,855
Newark, NJ$98,211
Bridgeport, CT$98,027
Vallejo, CA$97,853
New Brunswick, NJ$97,818
Petaluma, CA$97,766
Middlesex, NJ$97,600
Somerset, NJ$97,539
Santa Cruz, CA$97,426
Boston, MA$96,894
Monterey, CA$96,588
Seattle, WA$96,388
Santa Rosa, CA$96,371
Los Angeles, CA$96,345
Juneau, AK$96,118
Washington, DC$96,022
Orange, CA$95,712
Santa Ana, CA$95,481
Long Beach, CA$95,394
Anaheim, CA$95,377
Anchorage, AK$95,333
Santa Maria, CA$95,072
Everett, WA$95,054
Danbury, CT$94,747
Bremerton, WA$94,627
Tacoma, WA$94,313
New Suffolk, NY$94,311
Sacramento, CA$94,287
Santa Barbara, CA$94,191
Trenton, NJ$94,095
San Diego, CA$94,095
Brockton, MA$93,999
Fairbanks, AK$93,785
Lompoc, CA$93,563
Lowell, MA$93,493
Ventura, CA$93,476
Nashua, NH$93,458
Stockton, CA$93,450
Modesto, CA$92,813
Poughkeepsie, NY$92,621
Olympia, WA$92,456
Kennewick, WA$92,456
New Haven, CT$92,421
Lawrence, MA$92,107
Hartford, CT$92,020
Riverside, CA$92,002
New Bedford, MA$91,915
Richland, WA$91,915
Bakersfield, CA$91,793
San Bernardino, CA$91,758
New Britain, CT$91,749
Atlantic City, NJ$91,749
New London, CT$91,715
Norwich, CT$91,688
Portsmouth, NH$91,671
Boulder, CO$91,486
Portland, OR$91,366
Worcester, MA$91,357
Minneapolis, MN$91,087
Philadelphia, PA$90,965
Honolulu, HI$90,677
Saint Paul, MN$90,635
Vineland, NJ$90,616
Providence, RI$90,363
Chicago, IL$90,110
Bellingham, WA$90,005
Springfield, MA$89,936
Baltimore, MD$89,910
Chico, CA$89,692
Pittsfield, MA$89,456
Manchester, NH$89,290
Spokane, WA$88,907
Denver, CO$88,898
Albany, NY$88,488
Troy, NY$88,453
Nassau, NY$88,360
Schenectady, NY$88,270
Wilmington, DE$88,200
Burlington, VT$88,078
Salem, OR$88,044
Portland, ME$87,773
Yakima, WA$87,686
Rochester, MN$87,416
Reno, NV$87,372
Fresno, CA$87,372
Milwaukee, WI$87,294
Detroit, MI$87,206
Ann Arbor, MI$87,192
Allentown, PA$87,180
Colorado Springs, CO$87,032
Syracuse, NY$86,988
Carson City, NV$86,988
Houston, TX$86,866
Eugene, OR$86,823
Gary, IN$86,718
Springfield, OR$86,648
Bismarck, ND$86,631
Galveston, TX$86,570
Medford, OR$86,439
Fort Collins, CO$86,404
Concord, NH$86,361
Austin, TX$86,334
Mesa, AZ$86,151
Reading, PA$86,143
Phoenix, AZ$86,134
Dallas, TX$86,108
Saint Cloud, MN$86,024
Madison, WI$85,907
Utica, NY$85,672
Rochester, NY$85,532
Des Moines, IA$85,524
Raleigh, NC$85,515
Atlanta, GA$85,384
Battle Creek, MI$85,358
Salt Lake City, UT$85,332
Lancaster, PA$85,201
Harrisburg, PA$85,079
Kansas City, MO$84,992
Champaign, IL$84,974
Kansas City, KS$84,974
Fort Worth, TX$84,965
Columbus, OH$84,951
Boca Raton, FL$84,931
Pittsburgh, PA$84,896
Richmond, VA$84,861
Indianapolis, IN$84,843
Cleveland, OH$84,835
Las Vegas, NV$84,730
Cincinnati, OH$84,730
Petersburg, VA$84,599
Huntsville, AL$84,468
Lansing, MI$84,410
Lebanon, PA$84,399
Pueblo, CO$84,390
Appleton, WI$84,364
Buffalo, NY$84,329
Dayton, OH$84,303
Racine, WI$84,285
Charlotte, NC$84,277
Saint Louis, MO$84,250
York, PA$84,198
Elkhart, IN$84,198
Gastonia, NC$84,182
Billings, MT$84,161
Beaumont, TX$84,137
Lorain, OH$84,120
Benton Harbor, MI$84,102
Toledo, OH$84,085
Binghamton, NY$84,041
Rock Hill, SC$84,032
Rockford, IL$83,989
Springfield, IL$83,954
Elyria, OH$83,945
Fargo, ND$83,945
Flagstaff, AZ$83,884
Fort Lauderdale, FL$83,832
Duluth, MN$83,780
Miami, FL$83,780
Cheyenne, WY$83,719
Grand Forks, ND$83,719
Bangor, ME$83,527
Cedar Rapids, IA$83,431
Durham, NC$83,394
Louisville, KY$83,387
Grand Rapids, MI$83,370
Hialeah, FL$83,361
Casper, WY$83,239
Scranton, PA$83,134
New Orleans, LA$83,108
Virginia Beach, VA$83,099
Akron, OH$83,056
Peoria, IL$82,942
Sarasota, FL$82,925
Nashville, TN$82,864
Omaha, NE$82,864
Green Bay, WI$82,864
Baton Rouge, LA$82,820
Charleston, SC$82,803
Jamestown, NY$82,759
Davenport, IA$82,759
Tucson, AZ$82,716
Saint Petersburg, FL$82,663
Tampa, FL$82,646
Evansville, IN$82,594
Port Arthur, TX$82,594
Bradenton, FL$82,559
Santa Fe, NM$82,402
Orlando, FL$82,245
Clearwater, FL$82,219
Canton, OH$82,036
La Crosse, WI$82,036
Albuquerque, NM$81,983
Newport News, VA$81,975
High Point, NC$81,948
Ogden, UT$81,914
Corpus Christi, TX$81,844
Norfolk, VA$81,791
Laramie, WY$81,791
Rock Island, IL$81,739
Saginaw, MI$81,722
Jacksonville, FL$81,713
Salisbury, NC$81,696
Boise, ID$81,678
Moline, IL$81,634
Fort Myers, FL$81,608
Memphis, TN$81,591
Tulsa, OK$81,547
Waterloo, IA$81,495
Spartanburg, SC$81,408
Lincoln, NE$81,364
Fort Wayne, IN$81,347
Provo, UT$81,338
Cedar Falls, IA$81,233
San Antonio, TX$81,198
Greensboro, NC$81,164
South Bend, IN$81,155
Savannah, GA$81,059
Muskegon, MI$81,024
Birmingham, AL$81,015
Winston Salem, NC$80,973
Lake Charles, LA$80,763
Anderson, IN$80,745
Lexington, KY$80,719
Augusta, GA$80,693
Greenville, SC$80,693
Lima, OH$80,623
Wichita, KS$80,614
Tuscaloosa, AL$80,614
Columbia, SC$80,536
Springfield, OH$80,518
Asheville, NC$80,379
Bloomington, IN$80,318
Knoxville, TN$80,004
Shreveport, LA$79,995
Wilmington, NC$79,882
Roanoke, VA$79,882
Topeka, KS$79,725
Frankfort, KY$79,715
Oklahoma City, OK$79,655
Chillicothe, OH$79,620
Longview, TX$79,612
Melbourne, FL$79,603
Sioux Falls, SD$79,463
Mobile, AL$79,455
Terre Haute, IN$79,420
Altoona, PA$79,367
Amarillo, TX$79,306
Killeen, TX$79,280
Fayetteville, AR$79,210
Chattanooga, TN$79,184
Sioux City, IA$79,106
Idaho Falls, ID$79,088
Lynchburg, VA$79,019
Gainesville, FL$78,905
Portsmouth, OH$78,862
Little Rock, AR$78,844
Lafayette, LA$78,809
Youngstown, OH$78,809
Daytona Beach, FL$78,757
Clarksville, TN$78,748
Pensacola, FL$78,740
Temple, TX$78,733
Hopkinsville, KY$78,478
Erie, PA$78,460
Florence, SC$78,426
Charleston, WV$78,286
Great Falls, MT$78,242
Macon, GA$78,120
Tallahassee, FL$78,112
Fayetteville, NC$78,094
Waco, TX$78,077
Helena, MT$78,016
Pine Bluff, AR$77,983
Vincennes, IN$77,876
Lubbock, TX$77,841
Alamogordo, NM$77,789
Twin Falls, ID$77,711
Rapid City, SD$77,684
Jackson, MS$77,527
Huntington, WV$77,521
Greenville, MS$77,519
Parkersburg, WV$77,430
Montgomery, AL$77,414
Wichita Falls, TX$77,327
Springfield, MO$77,327
Biloxi, MS$77,283
Monroe, LA$77,196
Johnstown, PA$77,135
Sumter, SC$77,100
Columbus, GA$77,091
Pascagoula, MS$76,926
Abilene, TX$76,926
Kingsport, TN$76,699
Albany, GA$76,699
Gulfport, MS$76,673
Alexandria, LA$76,385
Fort Smith, AR$76,167
El Paso, TX$75,932
Las Cruces, NM$75,539
Harlingen, TX$75,318
Pocatello, ID$75,304
Florence, AL$75,191
Brownsville, TX$75,173
Mcallen, TX$74,990
Dothan, AL$74,868
Columbus, MS$74,350
Altus, OK$73,944
Lawton, OK$73,778
Pierre, SD$73,464
What Skills Can Increase an Instructional Writer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Presentation (Mentioned in 5.05% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
Digital Marketing (Mentioned in 2.16% Job Postings): Digital marketing is the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium. Digital marketing's development since the 1990s and 2000s has changed the way brands and businesses use technology for marketing. As digital platforms are increasingly incorporated into marketing plans and everyday life, and as people use digital devices instead of visiting physical shops, digital marketing campaigns are becoming more prevalent and efficient. Digital marketing methods such as search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, influencer marketing, content automation, campaign marketing, data-driven marketing, e-commerce marketing, social media marketing, social media optimization, e-mail direct marketing, Display advertising, e–books, and optical disks and games are becoming more common in our advancing technology. In fact, digital marketing now extends to non-Internet channels that provide digital media, such as mobile phones (SMS and MMS), callback, and on-hold mobile ring tones. In essence, this extension to non-Internet channels helps to differentiate digital marketing from online marketing, another catch-all term for the marketing methods mentioned above, which strictly occur online.
Product Marketing (Mentioned in 1.39% Job Postings): Product marketing is a process of promoting and selling a product to a customer. Also product marketing is defined as being the intermediary function between product development and increasing brand awareness. For example, product management deals with the basics of product development within a firm, whereas product marketing deals with marketing the product to prospects, customers, and others. Product marketing, as a job function within a firm, also differs from other marketing jobs such as social media marketing, marketing communications ("marcom"), online marketing, advertising, marketing strategy, and public relations, although product marketers may use channels such as online for outbound marketing for their product. A product market is something that is referred to when pitching a new product to the general public. Product market definition focuses on a narrow statement: the product type, customer needs (functional needs), customer type, and geographic area.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Presentation
5.05%
Digital Marketing
2.16%
Product Marketing
1.39%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
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 an Instructional Writer's salary.
Creative Thinking: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Product Marketing: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Collaborating: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Creative Thinking
$91,558
5%
Product Marketing
$91,558
5%
Collaborating
$90,686
4%
Innovation
$90,686
4%
Insight
$89,814
3%
Hard Working
$89,814
3%
Get Latest Data
Instructional Writer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Instructional Writer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 30% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Aerospace & Defense
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 15% above the average.
In contrast, Instructional Writer positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Instructional Writer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for an Instructional Writer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$100,277
$48.0
15%
How Education impacts an Instructional Writer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Instructional Writers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for an Instructional Writer with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$86,227
and $91,174).
Instructional Writer Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Instructional Writer
No Diploma1.2%
High School1.2%
Associates2.0%
Bachelors71.7%
Masters24.6%
Doctorate0.4%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
1.2%
High School
1.2%
Associates
2.0%
Bachelors
71.7%
Masters
24.6%
Doctorate
0.4%
view as graph
Instructional Writer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Instructional Writer'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.
Salaries for an Instructional Writer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $86,849 in 2023
to around $84,927 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Instructional Writer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Instructional Writer Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$86,849
2024
$86,406
2025
$84,927
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$86,849
2024
$86,406
2025
$84,927
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Instructional Writer
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Instructional Writer
Here are companies hiring for Instructional Writer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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