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What is an economic development coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Chad Miller Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an economic development coordinator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.35 an hour? That's $61,044 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 28,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an economic development coordinator?

Chad Miller Ph.D.Chad Miller Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Economic Development, Website

The study of economics and the practice of economic development are different. Economic developers need to understand how a local economy operates and basic macro/micro economics, but business and finance are more important skills than understanding economics. Economic developers typically work for local or state government organizations, chambers of commerce, or regional public-private partnerships marketing to attract business investment, retain and expand existing industry, or conduct small and entrepreneurial development programs in order create quality jobs, wealth, increase the tax base, and improve quality of life of a community. Economic developers need to be a 'jack of all trades' as they need to understand marketing, real estate development, public financing, business decision making, politics, as well as, other academic areas. Since so much different expertise is required, the ability to network is essential in order to utilize specific expertise needed to make the business investment happen.
ScoreEconomic Development CoordinatorUS Average
Salary
4.8

Avg. Salary $61,044

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.5

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 5.93%

Black or African American 9.68%

Hispanic or Latino 17.49%

Unknown 6.33%

White 60.06%

Gender

female 58.72%

male 41.28%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Economic development coordinator career paths

Key steps to become an economic development coordinator

  1. Explore economic development coordinator education requirements

    Most common economic development coordinator degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.7 %

    Master's

    18.6 %

    Associate

    6.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific economic development coordinator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Community Outreach15.48%
    Economic Development13.90%
    Community Development8.91%
    Business Community7.51%
    Business Development7.34%
  3. Complete relevant economic development coordinator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New economic development coordinators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an economic development coordinator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real economic development coordinator resumes.
  4. Research economic development coordinator duties and responsibilities

    • Manage all aspects of donor prospecting, cultivation, stewardship, and budget/vendor/consultant management for special events and individual giving.
    • Prepare and edit donor stewardship and proposals, physician presentations, and leadership communications independently and in conjunction with communications teammates.
    • Present to loan review committee, SBA, or commercial lender.
    • Develop effective working relationships with villagers, community partners, government extension agents, and ministry officials.
  5. Prepare your economic development coordinator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your economic development coordinator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an economic development coordinator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable economic development coordinator resume templates

    Build a professional economic development coordinator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your economic development coordinator resume.
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
    Economic Development Coordinator Resume
  6. Apply for economic development coordinator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an economic development coordinator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first economic development coordinator job

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Average economic development coordinator salary

The average economic development coordinator salary in the United States is $61,044 per year or $29 per hour. Economic development coordinator salaries range between $41,000 and $89,000 per year.

Average economic development coordinator salary
$61,044 Yearly
$29.35 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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