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The differences between applications development specialists and workforce development specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an applications development specialist and a workforce development specialist. Additionally, an applications development specialist has an average salary of $99,856, which is higher than the $43,666 average annual salary of a workforce development specialist.
The top three skills for an applications development specialist include java, application development and C++. The most important skills for a workforce development specialist are social services, training programs, and HR.
| Applications Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $99,856 | $43,666 |
| Hourly rate | $48.01 | $20.99 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 74,373 | 80,041 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An applications development specialist focuses on the design and coding of an application or software for a company. The development specialist's job is to determine the most efficient method to develop a program without sacrificing quality. It is also the position's task to ensure that a program is a solution to its needs and other problems identified through feedback from employees. The applications development specialist is also part of the backend team and can work alongside the research and development department when creating new software to be sold to the market.
A workforce development specialist is responsible for designing and conducting training and development programs to significantly improve organizational and individual performance. You will perform a few duties that include evaluating training delivery modes, such as virtual or in-person to optimize training effectiveness and costs, developing, obtaining, or organizing training guides and procedure manuals, and coordinating the placement of trainees. As a workforce development specialist, you also have to choose and assign training instructors and negotiating contracts with clients.
Applications development specialists and workforce development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $99,856 | $43,666 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $127,000 | Between $28,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | MUFG EMEA | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an applications development specialist and a workforce development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Applications Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between applications development specialists' and workforce development specialists' demographics:
| Applications Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.2% Female, 27.8% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |