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The differences between career development specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a career development specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, 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 specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Career Development Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $46,744 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $22.47 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 63,137 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Career development specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Career Development Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $46,744 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $67,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Boston Consulting Group | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a career development specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Career Development Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between career development specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Career Development Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.9% Female, 71.1% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |