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The differences between career 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 a career development specialist and a workforce development specialist. Additionally, a career development specialist has an average salary of $46,744, which is higher than the $43,666 average annual salary of a workforce 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 workforce development specialist are social services, training programs, and HR.
| Career Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $46,744 | $43,666 |
| Hourly rate | $22.47 | $20.99 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,137 | 80,041 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 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.
Career development specialists and workforce development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Career Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $46,744 | $43,666 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $67,000 | Between $28,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Boston Consulting Group | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a career development specialist and a workforce development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Career Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between career development specialists' and workforce development specialists' demographics:
| Career Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.9% Female, 71.1% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| 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, 11.6% 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% |