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The differences between learning design specialists and facilitators 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 facilitator. Additionally, a learning design specialist has an average salary of $72,967, which is higher than the $44,851 average annual salary of a facilitator.
The top three skills for a learning design specialist include blended learning, instructional design and subject matter experts. The most important skills for a facilitator are patients, customer service, and facilitators.
| Learning Design Specialist | Facilitator | |
| Yearly salary | $72,967 | $44,851 |
| Hourly rate | $35.08 | $21.56 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 68,913 | 30,474 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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 facilitator is responsible for assisting a group event or program, ensuring that the participants coordinate well. Facilitators also monitor that the objectives of the event are smoothly delivered and organized. An effective facilitator requires having strong communication and leadership skills to manage the participants' concerns and inquiries, including active participation in group discussions and designing engaging activities and processes. Facilitators also assist with planning and finalizing the timetable and setting the specific house rules and regulations for everyone's compliance.
Learning design specialists and facilitators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Learning Design Specialist | Facilitator | |
| Average salary | $72,967 | $44,851 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $91,000 | Between $28,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Sayreville, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a learning design specialist and a facilitator in terms of educational background:
| Learning Design Specialist | Facilitator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between learning design specialists' and facilitators' demographics:
| Learning Design Specialist | Facilitator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7% | Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |