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The differences between developmental specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a developmental specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $42,829 average annual salary of a developmental specialist.
The top three skills for a developmental specialist include social work, developmental disabilities and autism. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Developmental Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,829 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $20.59 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 7,776 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A developmental specialist typically works in the human resources department. Your job involves training employees and encouraging their peers to participate. Other duties include evaluating the company's HR and training programs, identifying the best type of training to ensure employee and company success, and designing and developing employee discussions, simulations, and exercises. In addition, you are expected to network with prospective donors and look for new funding sources. You are also expected to promote the organization's cause or work through advertisements, soirees, and literature.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Developmental specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developmental Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $42,829 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $58,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | UMass Memorial Health | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a developmental specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Developmental Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between developmental specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Developmental Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |