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The differences between course developers 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 course developer and a training specialist. Additionally, a course developer has an average salary of $92,160, which is higher than the $77,231 average annual salary of a training specialist.
The top three skills for a course developer include instructional design, course content and course materials. The most important skills for a training specialist are customer service, training programs, and training materials.
| Course Developer | Training Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $92,160 | $77,231 |
| Hourly rate | $44.31 | $37.13 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 75,889 | 61,581 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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.
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.
Course developers and training specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Course Developer | Training Specialist | |
| Average salary | $92,160 | $77,231 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $128,000 | Between $53,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Dallas, TX |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Udacity | CoreLogic |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a course developer and a training specialist in terms of educational background:
| Course Developer | Training Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between course developers' and training specialists' demographics:
| Course Developer | Training Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| 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, 11.2% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |