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The differences between learning design specialists and development 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 design specialist and a development specialist. Additionally, a learning design specialist has an average salary of $72,967, which is higher than the $60,344 average annual salary of a development specialist.
The top three skills for a learning design specialist include blended learning, instructional design and subject matter experts. The most important skills for a development specialist are customer service, customer satisfaction, and professional development.
| Learning Design Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $72,967 | $60,344 |
| Hourly rate | $35.08 | $29.01 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 68,913 | 97,188 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A development specialist is responsible for monitoring career training and programs for the employees, improving their capabilities and maximum potential to contribute to the company's growth and success. Development specialists also assist in assessing departmental operations, evaluating training needs, and facilitate skill development discussions and exercises. A development specialist helps identify business opportunities to generate more revenues for the organization and improve profitability status. A development specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills and comprehensive knowledge of human management to assist employees with their inquiries and concerns.
Learning design specialists and development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Learning Design Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $72,967 | $60,344 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $91,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Edison, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a learning design specialist and a development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Learning Design Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between learning design specialists' and development specialists' demographics:
| Learning Design Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7% | Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 10.4% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |