Instructional Media Design
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Types of Degrees Instructional Media Design Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many instructional media design graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 5,656 |
Graduate Certificate | 935 |
Doctor’s Degree | 199 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 83 |
Associate’s Degree | 82 |
Basic Certificate | 60 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 48 |
What Instructional Media Design Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, instructional media majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Instructional Media Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Skills for Instructional Media Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to instructional media:

- Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Abilities for Instructional Media Majors
As you progress with your instructional media degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
What Can You Do With a Instructional Media Design Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with instructional media:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Audio-Visual and Multimedia Collections Specialists | 8.8% | $49,600 |
Instructional Coordinators | 10.5% | $64,450 |
Instructional Designers and Technologists | 10.5% | $64,450 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Instructional Media Design?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of instructional media majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 2 |
Black or African American | 16 |
Hispanic or Latino | 1 |
White | 51 |
International Students | 4 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 9 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Instructional Media, too. About 4.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- India
- Taiwan
How Much Do Instructional Media Design Majors Make?
Salaries According to BLS
Instructional Media majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $52,270 to $67,490 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Instructional Media Design
Some degrees associated with instructional media may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to instructional media have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 1.4% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 4.9% |
Some College Courses | 4.8% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 0.5% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 28.2% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 1.5% |
Master’s Degree | 47.9% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 4.3% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 1.7% |
Doctoral Degree | 4.9% |
Online Instructional Media Design Programs
In the 2018-2019 academic year, 322 schools offered some type of instructional media design program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 22 | 6 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 4 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 1 | 1 |
Associate’s Degree | 6 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 111 | 67 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 22 | 6 |
Master’s Degree | 256 | 169 |
Post-Master’s | 32 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 36 | 13 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 1 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Instructional Media Design Worth It?
The median salary for a instructional media grad is $52,270 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 31% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $247,400 after 20 years!

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Majors Related to Instructional Media Design
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to instructional media.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Teacher Education Grade Specific | 100,925 |
Educational Administration | 44,381 |
Teacher Education Subject Specific | 43,516 |
General Education | 31,066 |
Special Education | 30,639 |
Curriculum & Instruction | 18,767 |
Student Counseling | 13,679 |
Other Education | 5,503 |
Teaching English or French | 5,407 |
Multilingual Education | 1,636 |
Teaching Assistants | 1,591 |
Educational Assessment | 1,532 |
Education Philosophy | 634 |
International Education | 400 |
References
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Antanana under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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