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The differences between career development specialists and 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 a career development specialist and a development specialist. Additionally, a development specialist has an average salary of $60,344, which is higher than the $46,744 average annual salary of a career development specialist.
The top three skills for a career development specialist include professional development, community resources and mock interviews. The most important skills for a development specialist are customer service, customer satisfaction, and professional development.
| Career Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $46,744 | $60,344 |
| Hourly rate | $22.47 | $29.01 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,137 | 97,188 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A career development specialist helps clients accomplish their short and long-term career goals by providing guidance and counseling. They usually meet with clients to identify their needs and career goals, conduct skills assessments, and help them connect with potential employers. They may also assist job seekers by answering inquiries, helping them develop their resumes, training them for interviews, and assisting them in their pursuit of finding new jobs. Moreover, besides providing support, a career development specialist also helps clients build their confidence and resolve issues if any arise.
A development specialist is responsible for monitoring career training and programs for the employees, improving their capabilities and maximum potential to contribute to the company's growth and success. Development specialists also assist in assessing departmental operations, evaluating training needs, and facilitate skill development discussions and exercises. A development specialist helps identify business opportunities to generate more revenues for the organization and improve profitability status. A development specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills and comprehensive knowledge of human management to assist employees with their inquiries and concerns.
Career development specialists and development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Career Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $46,744 | $60,344 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $67,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Edison, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Boston Consulting Group | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a career development specialist and a development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Career Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between career development specialists' and development specialists' demographics:
| Career Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.9% Female, 71.1% | Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 5.9% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |