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Development associate vs workforce development specialist

The differences between development associates 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 development associate and a workforce development specialist. Additionally, a development associate has an average salary of $70,451, which is higher than the $43,666 average annual salary of a workforce development specialist.

The top three skills for a development associate include customer service, java and powerpoint. The most important skills for a workforce development specialist are social services, training programs, and HR.

Development associate vs workforce development specialist overview

Development AssociateWorkforce Development Specialist
Yearly salary$70,451$43,666
Hourly rate$33.87$20.99
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs85,81580,041
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a development associate do?

A development associate is responsible for supporting a non-profit organization's fundraising campaigns and donation programs. They establish communication with sponsors and potential donors and oversee grant programs. Development associates monitor the progress of every campaign, creating comprehensive reports to discuss with the development manager and the rest of the team. They also assist with developing marketing campaigns, organizing social media presence for awareness, and researching on alternative funding sources. A development associate must be highly communicative and organizational, coordinating with different institutions, and negotiating sponsorship proposals.

What does a workforce development specialist do?

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.

Development associate vs workforce development specialist salary

Development associates and workforce development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Development AssociateWorkforce Development Specialist
Average salary$70,451$43,666
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $116,000Between $28,000 And $66,000
Highest paying CityJersey City, NJRoseville, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyDiscoveryMeta
Best paying industryFinanceTransportation

Differences between development associate and workforce development specialist education

There are a few differences between a development associate and a workforce development specialist in terms of educational background:

Development AssociateWorkforce Development Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Development associate vs workforce development specialist demographics

Here are the differences between development associates' and workforce development specialists' demographics:

Development AssociateWorkforce Development Specialist
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 35.5% Female, 64.5%Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 59.6% 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 Percentage12%12%

Differences between development associate and workforce development specialist duties and responsibilities

Development associate example responsibilities.

  • Edit and manage attorney biographies.
  • Manage database and daily schedule though use of SalesForce.
  • Manage all aspects of donor prospecting, cultivation, stewardship, and budget/vendor/consultant management for special events and individual giving.
  • Certify in CPR and first aid.
  • Create marketing strategies to help with are SEO
  • Convert HTML website tutorials to function properly on iPad devices.
  • Show more

Workforce development specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead advocacy efforts to increase employment opportunities for veterans by contacting hiring executives and encourage the hiring of disable veterans.
  • Work cooperatively with community organizations to provide support and resources to TANF clients.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations for use with public speaking events.
  • Conduct employment verification (I9) and drug tests.
  • Market OJT services to public and private sector employers; prepare contract agreements between employers and employees.
  • Establish and maintain rapport with both prime contractors and their employees that are participating in the OJT program as trainees.
  • Show more

Development associate vs workforce development specialist skills

Common development associate skills
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Java, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Professional Development, 4%
  • Database Management, 4%
Common workforce development specialist skills
  • Social Services, 9%
  • Training Programs, 8%
  • HR, 7%
  • Community Resources, 6%
  • Career Development, 6%
  • Supportive Services, 6%

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