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The differences between learning development 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 development specialist and a corporate trainer. Additionally, a learning development specialist has an average salary of $73,541, which is higher than the $58,803 average annual salary of a corporate trainer.
The top three skills for a learning development specialist include training programs, project management and HR. The most important skills for a corporate trainer are customer service, training sessions, and training materials.
| Learning Development Specialist | Corporate Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,541 | $58,803 |
| Hourly rate | $35.36 | $28.27 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 81,817 | 52,090 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Also called a learning specialist, a learning development specialist is someone who designs, executes, and organizes training programs. Learning development specialists see to it that the programs will help improve the performance of employees and that of organizational productivity. They design, establish, and direct employee discussions, simulations, and exercises. Also, they are the ones who prepare study guides, manuals, and text for employee training. The set of skills necessary for this job include leadership, management skills, communication skills, and attention to detail.
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 development specialists and corporate trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Learning Development Specialist | Corporate Trainer | |
| Average salary | $73,541 | $58,803 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $109,000 | Between $41,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Clifford Chance | The Durst Organization |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a learning development specialist and a corporate trainer in terms of educational background:
| Learning Development Specialist | Corporate Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between learning development specialists' and corporate trainers' demographics:
| Learning Development Specialist | Corporate Trainer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3% | Male, 49.4% Female, 50.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 60.7% 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 Percentage | 12% | 12% |