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The differences between learning design specialists 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 design specialist and a training specialist. Additionally, a training specialist has an average salary of $77,231, which is higher than the $72,967 average annual salary of a learning design 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 training specialist are customer service, training programs, and training materials.
| Learning Design Specialist | Training Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $72,967 | $77,231 |
| Hourly rate | $35.08 | $37.13 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 68,913 | 61,581 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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.
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 design specialists and training specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Learning Design Specialist | Training Specialist | |
| Average salary | $72,967 | $77,231 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $91,000 | Between $53,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Dallas, TX |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | CoreLogic |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a learning design specialist and a training specialist in terms of educational background:
| Learning Design Specialist | Training Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between learning design specialists' and training specialists' demographics:
| Learning Design Specialist | Training Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| 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, 11.2% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |