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The differences between learning development 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 development specialist and a development specialist. Additionally, a learning development specialist has an average salary of $73,541, which is higher than the $60,344 average annual salary of a development specialist.
The top three skills for a learning development specialist include training programs, project management and HR. The most important skills for a development specialist are customer service, customer satisfaction, and professional development.
| Learning Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $73,541 | $60,344 |
| Hourly rate | $35.36 | $29.01 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 81,817 | 97,188 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 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 development specialists and development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Learning Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $73,541 | $60,344 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $109,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Edison, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Clifford Chance | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a learning development specialist and a development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Learning Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between learning development specialists' and development specialists' demographics:
| Learning Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3% | Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5% |
| 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, 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% |