Instructional Coordinators

Summary

instructional coordinators image
Instructional coordinators work with teachers and school administrators to implement curriculums.
Quick Facts: Instructional Coordinators
2020 Median Pay $qf_median_annual_wage_html $qf_median_hourly_wage_html
Typical Entry-Level Education $qf_education_html
Work Experience in a Related Occupation $qf_experience_html
On-the-job Training $qf_training_html
Number of Jobs, 2020 $qf_number_jobs_html
Job Outlook, 2020-30 $qf_outlook_html
Employment Change, 2020-30 $qf_openings_html

What Instructional Coordinators Do

Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, implement it, and assess its effectiveness.

Work Environment

Most instructional coordinators work in elementary and secondary schools, colleges, professional schools, or educational support services or for state and local governments. They typically work year round.

How to Become an Instructional Coordinator

Instructional coordinators need a master’s degree and related work experience, such as teaching or school administration. Coordinators in public schools may be required to have a state-issued license.

Pay

Job Outlook

Overall employment of instructional coordinators is projected to grow $pc.toString().replaceAll("^\-","") percent from 2020 to 2030, $gra.

About $tools.number.format('#,###',$op) openings for instructional coordinators are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

State & Area Data

Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for instructional coordinators.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of instructional coordinators with similar occupations.

More Information, Including Links to O*NET

Learn more about instructional coordinators by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.

What Instructional Coordinators Do

Instructional coordinators
Instructional coordinators need a master's degree and related work experience.

Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop educational material, implement it with teachers and principals, and assess its effectiveness.

Duties

Instructional coordinators typically do the following:

  • Develop and implement the curriculums
  • Plan, organize, and conduct teacher training, conferences, or workshops
  • Analyze students' test data
  • Assess and discuss the curriculum standards with school staff
  • Review and suggest textbooks and other educational materials
  • Recommend teaching techniques and the use of different or new technologies
  • Develop procedures for teachers to implement a curriculum
  • Train teachers and other instructional staff in new content or programs
  • Mentor or coach teachers to improve their skills

Instructional coordinators, also known as curriculum specialists, evaluate the effectiveness of curriculums and teaching techniques established by school boards, states, or federal regulations. They observe teachers in the classroom, review student test data, and discuss the curriculum with the school staff. Based on their research, they may recommend changes in curriculums to the school board.

Instructional coordinators may conduct training for teachers related to teaching or technology. For example, instructional coordinators explain new learning standards to teachers and demonstrate effective teaching methods to achieve them.

Instructional coordinators may specialize in particular grade levels or specific subjects. Those in elementary and secondary schools may focus on programs such as special education or English as a second language.

Work Environment

Instructional coordinators
Most instructional coordinators work in an office but they may also spend time traveling to schools within their school district.

Most instructional coordinators work in elementary and secondary schools, colleges, professional schools, or educational support services or for state and local governments. They typically work year round.

Work Schedules

Instructional coordinators generally work full time. They typically work year round and do not have summer breaks. Coordinators may meet with teachers and other administrators outside of classroom hours.

How to Become an Instructional Coordinator

Instructional coordinators
Instructional coordinators need to be able to train teachers on the newest teaching techniques and tools.

Instructional coordinators need a master’s degree and related work experience, such as teaching or in school administration. Coordinators in public schools may be required to have a state-issued license.

Education

Instructional coordinators in public schools are required to have a master’s degree in education or curriculum and instruction. Some instructional coordinators need a degree in a specialized field, such as math or history.

Master’s degree programs in curriculum and instruction teach about curriculum design, instructional theory, and collecting and analyzing data. To enter these programs, candidates usually need a bachelor’s degree in education.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Instructional coordinators in public schools may be required to have a license, such as a teaching license or an education administrator license. For information about teaching licenses, see the profiles on kindergarten and elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, and high school teachers. For information about education administrator licenses, see the profile on elementary, middle, and high school principals. Check with your state’s Board of Education for specific license requirements.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Most instructional coordinators need several years of related work experience as a teacher or an instructional leader. For some positions, experience teaching a specific subject or grade level is required.

Advancement

With enough experience and more education, instructional coordinators may become superintendents.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Instructional coordinators evaluate student test data and teaching strategies. Based on their analysis, they recommend improvements in curriculums and teaching.

Communication skills. Instructional coordinators need to clearly explain changes in the curriculum and teaching standards to school staff.

Decision-making skills. Instructional coordinators must be decisive when recommending changes to curriculums, teaching methods, and textbooks.

Interpersonal skills. Instructional coordinators need to be able to establish and maintain positive working relationships with teachers, principals, and other administrators.

Leadership skills. Instructional coordinators serve as mentors to teachers. They train teachers in developing useful and effective teaching techniques.

Pay

Instructional Coordinators

Median annual wages, May 2020

Instructional coordinators

$66,970

Total, all occupations

$41,950

Other educational instruction and library occupations

$30,970

 

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Instructional coordinators generally work full time. They typically work year round and do not have summer breaks. Coordinators may meet with teachers and other administrators outside of classroom hours.

Job Outlook

Instructional Coordinators

Percent change in employment, projected 2020-30

Instructional coordinators

10%

Other educational instruction and library occupations

9%

Total, all occupations

8%

 

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Overall employment of instructional coordinators is projected to grow $pc.toString().replaceAll("^\-","") percent from 2020 to 2030, $gra.

About $tools.number.format('#,###',$op) openings for instructional coordinators are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Employment of instructional coordinators is projected to grow 6 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

States and school districts will continue to be held accountable for test scores and graduation rates, putting more of an emphasis on student achievement data. Schools may increasingly turn to instructional coordinators to develop better curriculums and improve teachers’ effectiveness. The training that instructional coordinators provide for teachers in curriculum changes and teaching techniques should help schools meet their standards in student achievement. As schools seek additional training for teachers, demand for instructional coordinators is projected to grow.

However, many instructional coordinators are employed by state and local governments. Therefore, employment growth will depend largely on state and local government budgets.

Job Prospects

Instructional coordinators with a solid teaching background and leadership experience should have the best job prospects.

Employment projections data for instructional coordinators, 2020-30
Occupational Title SOC Code Employment, 2020 Projected Employment, 2030 Change, 2020-30 Employment by Industry
Percent Numeric

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Instructional coordinators

 25-9031 190,400 208,900 10 18,400 Get data

State & Area Data

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of instructional coordinators.

Occupation Job Duties ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION 2020 MEDIAN PAY
Elementary, middle, and high school principals Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals

Elementary, middle, and high school principals oversee all school operations, including daily school activities.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
High school teachers High School Teachers

High school teachers teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers

Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects in order to prepare them for future schooling.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Librarians Librarians

Librarians help people find information and conduct research for personal and professional use.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Middle school teachers Middle School Teachers

Middle school teachers educate students, typically in sixth through eighth grades.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Postsecondary teachers Postsecondary Teachers

Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and technical subjects beyond the high school level.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Preschool teachers Preschool Teachers

Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
School and Career Counselors School and Career Counselors

School counselors help students develop the academic and social skills needed to succeed. Career counselors help people choose a path to employment.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Special education teachers Special Education Teachers

Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Teacher assistants Teacher Assistants

Teacher assistants work with a licensed teacher to give students additional attention and instruction.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
training and development specialists image Training and Development Specialists

Training and development specialists plan and administer programs that improve the skills and knowledge of their employees.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Training and development managers Training and Development Managers

Training and development managers oversee staff and plan and coordinate programs to enhance the knowledge and skills of an organization’s employees.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Adult literacy and GED teachers Adult Literacy and High School Equivalency Diploma Teachers

Adult literacy and high school equivalency diploma teachers instruct adults in basic skills, such as reading and speaking English. They also help students earn their high school equivalent diploma.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html
Career and technical education teachers Career and Technical Education Teachers

Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts.

 $qf_education_html $qf_median_annual_wage_html

Contacts for More Information

For more information about instructional coordinators, visit

Learning Forward

ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Instructional Coordinators,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/instructional-coordinators.htm (visited March 20, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 4, 2019