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The differences between economic development specialists and development coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an economic development specialist and a development coordinator. Additionally, an economic development specialist has an average salary of $52,511, which is higher than the $51,688 average annual salary of a development coordinator.
The top three skills for an economic development specialist include medicaid, economic development and strong work ethic. The most important skills for a development coordinator are customer service, powerpoint, and excellent interpersonal.
| Economic Development Specialist | Development Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $52,511 | $51,688 |
| Hourly rate | $25.25 | $24.85 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 59,091 | 83,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An economic development specialist helps ailing and needing communities to grow and have more opportunities for its citizens. They do this by first assessing the community for its needs. They create surveys and questionnaires to help in acquiring and recording data. Through the data gathered and analyzed, together with a team of economists, they can formulate developmental plans. They also talk to social workers for help and implement the plan, monitoring for both negative and positive effects continuously. They also offer hands-on training and seminars to improve community skills further.
A development coordinator is responsible for planning various programs and events for an organization or company. They primarily focus on securing funding by holding fundraising events, devising programs to increase brand awareness, and even coming up with various campaigns supporting a cause. Most of the development coordinator tasks will revolve around traveling and reaching out to clients, obtaining sponsorships, devising strategies for public relations, securing permits and logistics, seeking organizers and volunteers, and implementing policies of the company.
Economic development specialists and development coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Economic Development Specialist | Development Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $52,511 | $51,688 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $82,000 | Between $36,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Hercules, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Morgan Stanley | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an economic development specialist and a development coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Economic Development Specialist | Development Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between economic development specialists' and development coordinators' demographics:
| Economic Development Specialist | Development Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.5% Female, 67.5% | Male, 30.2% Female, 69.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 5.9% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |