Instructional Designer: a guide for teachers
By Devin Lewis, Founder of NextGround
- Builds courses
- Designs experiences
- Writes content
- Uses design tools
You might like this if
- You obsess over how people learn
- You like building, not presenting
- You want remote work
What the job is
Instructional designers build courses and learning experiences, often online, for companies, universities, and EdTech products.
A day in the role
Storyboarding a module, meeting with a subject matter expert, building a lesson in an authoring tool, and revising after a pilot group's feedback.
Teaching skills that translate
Backward design, writing objectives, and knowing how people actually learn are the core of this job, and teachers already do them.
How teachers get there
Build a portfolio with two or three samples that show your design process, not just the finished product. Learn one authoring tool well.
Pay and outlook
Occupation: Training and development specialists (the Bureau of Labor Statistics names instructional designers as part of this group)
- Median pay
- $69,280
- Projected growth
- 11% through 2035
View the source. Data as of May 2025 wages, 2025 to 2035 projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
NextGround can help you prepare for
Prepare with a NextGround cohort
The Instructional Design path helps you practice the work and build evidence for this role. Cohorts are planned for early 2027.
See the Instructional Design path