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Learning consultant vs training specialist

The differences between learning consultants 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 learning consultant and a training specialist. Additionally, a learning consultant has an average salary of $79,585, which is higher than the $77,231 average annual salary of a training specialist.

The top three skills for a learning consultant include instructional design, project management and customer service. The most important skills for a training specialist are customer service, training programs, and training materials.

Learning consultant vs training specialist overview

Learning ConsultantTraining Specialist
Yearly salary$79,585$77,231
Hourly rate$38.26$37.13
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs46,74861,581
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a learning consultant do?

Learning consultants are professionals who act as a link between companies, their corporate training products, and their audience. Their typical job includes providing support during and after the sales process, participating in conference calls, meetings, and product demonstrations, and assisting with the implementation of a learning management system (LMS). A learning consultant is also responsible for making course recommendations based on the client's goals and needs and evaluating the effectiveness of training programs, along with suggesting improvements.

What does a training specialist do?

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.

Learning consultant vs training specialist salary

Learning consultants and training specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Learning ConsultantTraining Specialist
Average salary$79,585$77,231
Salary rangeBetween $64,000 And $97,000Between $53,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCDallas, TX
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyMetaCoreLogic
Best paying industryInsuranceTechnology

Differences between learning consultant and training specialist education

There are a few differences between a learning consultant and a training specialist in terms of educational background:

Learning ConsultantTraining Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Learning consultant vs training specialist demographics

Here are the differences between learning consultants' and training specialists' demographics:

Learning ConsultantTraining Specialist
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 38.2% Female, 61.8%Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 61.2% 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 Percentage12%12%

Differences between learning consultant and training specialist duties and responsibilities

Learning consultant example responsibilities.

  • Manage intranet sites, using Dreamweaver, for accessing e-Learning courses.
  • Lead experiential learning in supervisory skills, conflict management, leadership, team building and organization process effectiveness.
  • Collaborate with SMEs to develop training material that meets the needs of the organization.
  • Analyze needs, design, develop and deliver courses using ADDIE and ISD processes.
  • Create instructor guides, participant guides, storyboards, activity handouts, and PowerPoint presentations.
  • Develop user friendly e-Learning materials using the ADDIE methodology that is currently being used by employees.
  • Show more

Training specialist example responsibilities.

  • Instruct representatives on how to maximize functionality of relational database to effectively manage their sales territories and expenses.
  • Develop training manuals and PowerPoint presentations for assign training projects using the ADDIE instructional design method.
  • Work as a technical trainer for undergraduate students for subjects such as JAVA, SQL, HTML and CSS.
  • Establish information technology help desk by developing reference tools and processes necessary to troubleshoot issues.
  • Train skilled operators to set-up, troubleshoot, and maintain several types of highly automate manufacturing equipment.
  • Develop corporate standards for software documentation, including standardization of job aids, PowerPoint presentations, and manuals.
  • Show more

Learning consultant vs training specialist skills

Common learning consultant skills
  • Instructional Design, 7%
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Learning Solutions, 5%
  • HR, 4%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
Common training specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Training Programs, 9%
  • Training Materials, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • Training Sessions, 5%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 5%

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