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Learning design specialist vs corporate trainer

The differences between learning design specialists and corporate trainers 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 design specialist and a corporate trainer. Additionally, a learning design specialist has an average salary of $72,967, which is higher than the $58,803 average annual salary of a corporate trainer.

The top three skills for a learning design specialist include blended learning, instructional design and subject matter experts. The most important skills for a corporate trainer are customer service, training sessions, and training materials.

Learning design specialist vs corporate trainer overview

Learning Design SpecialistCorporate Trainer
Yearly salary$72,967$58,803
Hourly rate$35.08$28.27
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs68,91352,090
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a learning design specialist do?

A learning design specialist is responsible for creating instructional materials according to the learner's curriculum and evaluate existing educational resources for further improvements needed. Learning design specialists facilitate the development of educational software tools and technology and coordinate with the educators for testing. They also attend conferences and train instructors in utilizing learning materials. A learning design specialist must have excellent communication skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the learning practices, to recommend teaching methods based on the curriculum's standards.

What does a corporate trainer do?

A corporate trainer is someone who essentially works as a teacher in a corporate setting. Daily duties include training employees with new company systems, skills, and strategies. They monitor the engagement levels and performance of the training participants. Also, they collaborate with project stakeholders to create training content and design. Corporate trainers must have high interpersonal skills to connect with trainers easily and to get them to participate actively in the training sessions. Preferred candidates for the job are those with a bachelor's degree in human resources or those with relevant job experience in the same field.

Learning design specialist vs corporate trainer salary

Learning design specialists and corporate trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Learning Design SpecialistCorporate Trainer
Average salary$72,967$58,803
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $91,000Between $41,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityOlympia, WASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateWyomingWashington
Best paying companyMcKinsey & Company IncThe Durst Organization
Best paying industryHospitalityHealth Care

Differences between learning design specialist and corporate trainer education

There are a few differences between a learning design specialist and a corporate trainer in terms of educational background:

Learning Design SpecialistCorporate Trainer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Learning design specialist vs corporate trainer demographics

Here are the differences between learning design specialists' and corporate trainers' demographics:

Learning Design SpecialistCorporate Trainer
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 34.3% Female, 65.7%Male, 49.4% Female, 50.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between learning design specialist and corporate trainer duties and responsibilities

Learning design specialist example responsibilities.

  • Mentore designers and manage a portfolio of design projects including classroom, elearning, blend and virtual projects.
  • Lead experiential learning in supervisory skills, conflict management, leadership, team building and organization process effectiveness.
  • Collaborate with internal SMEs and customers around the world.
  • Work with various faculty, SMEs, trainers and program managers.
  • Design new or modify existing materials as required and ensure SCORM compliance.
  • Utilize SolidWorks to design 3-D major transmission parts such as rollers and synchronous belt etc.
  • Show more

Corporate trainer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and train all new hires for the FOH operations servers, bartenders and hosts.
  • Manage all client and internal training needs, develop various email marketing training programs for LMS.
  • Coordinate, contract and manage the training budget for the site including ISO auditing schedules and compliance.
  • Coordinate and provide product support and presentation with clients and internal personnel.
  • Partner with executive management and sales managers to develop Salesforce reports and analyze data to improve processes and overall company productivity.
  • Certify instruction for CPR and drug screen training.
  • Show more

Learning design specialist vs corporate trainer skills

Common learning design specialist skills
  • Blended Learning, 11%
  • Instructional Design, 11%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 10%
  • Led Training, 6%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Course Content, 5%
Common corporate trainer skills
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Training Sessions, 9%
  • Training Materials, 8%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • HR, 5%
  • Corporate Training, 4%

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