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The differences between course developers 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 course developer and a development specialist. Additionally, a course developer has an average salary of $92,160, which is higher than the $60,344 average annual salary of a development specialist.
The top three skills for a course developer include instructional design, course content and course materials. The most important skills for a development specialist are customer service, customer satisfaction, and professional development.
| Course Developer | Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $92,160 | $60,344 |
| Hourly rate | $44.31 | $29.01 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 75,889 | 97,188 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A course developer specializes in developing and implementing course plans for educational programs. They are responsible for conducting industry research, conducting skills assessments to identify a company's training needs, creating plans and strategies, establishing timelines, developing programs, and securing supplies. Additionally, they must monitor the progress of a company's educational programs to make adjustments as needed.
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.
Course developers and development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Course Developer | Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $92,160 | $60,344 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $128,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Edison, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Udacity | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a course developer and a development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Course Developer | Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between course developers' and development specialists' demographics:
| Course Developer | Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% | Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 59.9% 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% |