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Career

Instructional Coordinators

Typical education: Master's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Develop instructional material, coordinate educational content, and incorporate current technology into instruction in order to provide guidelines to educators and instructors for developing curricula and conducting courses. May train and coach teachers. Includes educational consultants and specialists, and instructional material directors.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $77,440 Median per year · $37.23/hr Most earn $47,980–$121,670

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Interpret and enforce provisions of state education codes and rules and regulations of state education boards.
  • Observe work of teaching staff to evaluate performance and to recommend changes that could strengthen teaching skills.
  • Recommend, order, or authorize purchase of instructional materials, supplies, equipment, and visual aids designed to meet student educational needs and district standards.
  • Address public audiences to explain program objectives and to elicit support.
  • Conduct or participate in workshops, committees, and conferences designed to promote the intellectual, social, and physical welfare of students.
  • Prepare grant proposals, budgets, and program policies and goals or assist in their preparation.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 23,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Elementary and secondary schools42.2%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools19.2%
  • Educational support services8.9%
  • Junior colleges3.8%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals3.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Instructional Coordinator is not usually an entry-level job. Most people first teach for a few years and earn a master's degree, and it often takes about 6 to 8 years from starting college to reaching this role.

  1. Bachelor's degree in education or a subject area

    4 years

    You learn how students learn and build knowledge in a subject, which is the base for designing lessons and materials.

  2. Elementary School Teacher

    2-4 years

    Classroom teaching gives you hands-on experience planning lessons, using classroom technology, and seeing what works, which is the experience this career usually expects.

  3. Master's degree in curriculum and instruction

    1-2 years

    A graduate program in curriculum design, instructional technology, or a similar field prepares you to create guidelines for other teachers, often while you keep teaching.

  4. Instructional Coordinator

    You develop curriculum and instructional materials, guide educators on course design, and coach teachers on new methods and technology.

Where it can lead

  1. Director of Curriculum and Instruction

    3-5 years of experience first

    You lead curriculum decisions for a whole school district, manage other coordinators, and set teaching priorities across schools. Moving up usually means showing leadership in district projects and building strong relationships with administrators.

  2. Training and Development Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You plan and manage training programs for an organization, often in a business or healthcare setting, rather than schools. The move usually requires learning adult-learning design and showing results from training programs.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take education-related and subject classesCourses in psychology, child development, or the subjects you enjoy most give you a foundation for planning lessons later.
  • Tutor or help younger studentsTutoring a classmate or helping at a local elementary school shows you how to explain ideas clearly and adjust to different learners.
  • Join a club or leadership groupBeing a leader in student government, a debate team, or a peer mentoring group builds the communication and organizing skills used in coaching teachers.
  • Work a starter job with kidsBabysitting, camp counseling, or working at a daycare gives you real experience guiding young learners and planning activities.
  • Learn common classroom technologyGetting comfortable with learning apps, presentation tools, and spreadsheets prepares you for the technology side of this career.

In college

  • Major in education or a content subjectAn education major or a subject major with education courses gives you the teaching foundation this career builds on.
  • Seek a student teaching or field placementClassroom placements during your degree give you real teaching experience and show you how curriculum works in practice.
  • Work as a teaching assistant or tutor on campusCampus tutoring or TA jobs build coaching and explaining skills and can be a source of references for later jobs.
  • Get involved in education student organizationsJoining a future-teachers group or a campus education club lets you meet educators and learn about current teaching trends.
  • Explore instructional technologyTaking a course in educational technology, instructional design, or data use in schools prepares you for the tech side of this job and for a master's program.

Tips for getting started

  • Get classroom experience early, even as a tutor or substitute teacher, because the 2-4 years of prior work is usually teaching-related.
  • Practice sharing what you know: tutoring, peer teaching, or leading a club helps you build the coaching skills this job needs.
  • Pay attention to educational technology in your classes and activities, since this career involves bringing current technology into instruction.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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