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Career specialist vs training specialist

The differences between career 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 specialist and a training specialist. Additionally, a training specialist has an average salary of $77,231, which is higher than the $45,299 average annual salary of a career specialist.

The top three skills for a career specialist include career development, professional development and career exploration. The most important skills for a training specialist are customer service, training programs, and training materials.

Career specialist vs training specialist overview

Career SpecialistTraining Specialist
Yearly salary$45,299$77,231
Hourly rate$21.78$37.13
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs16,35361,581
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a career specialist do?

Also called workforce trainers, career specialists determine career and vocational opportunities for qualified job-searches using different assessments. Career specialists plan and implement a comprehensive career development program within the realm of student services. They assess and evaluate career development test results and use them as a guide for individuals. It is part of their job to counsel in terms of administrative tasks. Skills necessary for this job include communication, attention to detail, and career guidance.

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 specialist vs training specialist salary

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

Career SpecialistTraining Specialist
Average salary$45,299$77,231
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $61,000Between $53,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CitySanta Cruz, CADallas, TX
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyBoston Public SchoolsCoreLogic
Best paying industryEducationTechnology

Differences between career specialist and training specialist education

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

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

Career specialist vs training specialist demographics

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

Career SpecialistTraining Specialist
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 31.1% Female, 68.9%Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 5.9% White, 58.8% 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 specialist and training specialist duties and responsibilities

Career specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead advocacy efforts to increase employment opportunities for veterans by contacting hiring executives and encourage the hiring of disable veterans.
  • Determine eligibility and suitability for WIA youth services.
  • Establish applicant eligibility and suitability for WIA enrollment associate with personal barriers to employment.
  • Lead advocacy efforts to increase employment opportunities for veterans by contacting hiring executives and encourage the hiring of disable veterans.
  • Document and comply with confidentiality of student information, and Medicaid billing.

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 specialist vs training specialist skills

Common career specialist skills
  • Career Development, 13%
  • Professional Development, 8%
  • Career Exploration, 8%
  • Financial Aid, 6%
  • Labor Market, 5%
  • Career Planning, 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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