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Career development specialist vs training specialist

The differences between career development specialists and training 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 training specialist. Additionally, a training specialist has an average salary of $77,231, 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 training specialist are customer service, training programs, and training materials.

Career development specialist vs training specialist overview

Career Development SpecialistTraining Specialist
Yearly salary$46,744$77,231
Hourly rate$22.47$37.13
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs63,13761,581
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a career development specialist do?

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.

What does a training specialist do?

As the name entails, training specialists are the ones who design and perform training programs that will foster employees' workplace performance and align with the core values of an organization. They have varied responsibilities, including identifying employee training needs, preparing teaching plans and developing an annual training program, and turning requirements into training to aid employees in their career development. They are also responsible for implementing training courses, staying up-to-date on the new tools and trends in employee development, and evaluating existing programs periodically.

Career development specialist vs training specialist salary

Career development specialists and training specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Career Development SpecialistTraining Specialist
Average salary$46,744$77,231
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $67,000Between $53,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CADallas, TX
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyBoston Consulting GroupCoreLogic
Best paying industryEducationTechnology

Differences between career development specialist and training specialist education

There are a few differences between a career development specialist and a training specialist in terms of educational background:

Career Development SpecialistTraining Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Career development specialist vs training specialist demographics

Here are the differences between career development specialists' and training specialists' demographics:

Career Development SpecialistTraining Specialist
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 28.9% Female, 71.1%Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.2% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between career development specialist and training specialist duties and responsibilities

Career development specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead advocacy efforts to increase employment opportunities for veterans by contacting hiring executives and encourage the hiring of disable veterans.
  • Lead advocacy efforts to increase employment opportunities for veterans by contacting hiring executives and encourage the hiring of disable veterans.
  • Develop IEP (individual employment plan) for case management and monitor customer progress during participation.

Training specialist example responsibilities.

  • Instruct representatives on how to maximize functionality of relational database to effectively manage their sales territories and expenses.
  • Develop training manuals and PowerPoint presentations for assign training projects using the ADDIE instructional design method.
  • Work as a technical trainer for undergraduate students for subjects such as JAVA, SQL, HTML and CSS.
  • Establish information technology help desk by developing reference tools and processes necessary to troubleshoot issues.
  • Train skilled operators to set-up, troubleshoot, and maintain several types of highly automate manufacturing equipment.
  • Develop corporate standards for software documentation, including standardization of job aids, PowerPoint presentations, and manuals.
  • Show more

Career development specialist vs training specialist skills

Common career development specialist skills
  • Professional Development, 17%
  • Community Resources, 9%
  • Mock Interviews, 6%
  • Support Services, 5%
  • Employment Services, 5%
  • Training Programs, 5%
Common training specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Training Programs, 9%
  • Training Materials, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • Training Sessions, 5%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 5%

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