Learning development specialist vs specialist

The differences between learning development specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a learning development specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a learning development specialist has an average salary of $73,541, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.

The top three skills for a learning development specialist include training programs, project management and HR. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.

Learning development specialist vs specialist overview

	Learning Development Specialist	Specialist
Yearly salary	$73,541	$58,013
Hourly rate	$35.36	$27.89
Growth rate	8%	10%
Number of jobs	81,817	358,433
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	44	42
Years of experience	4	2

What does a learning development specialist do?

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.

What does a specialist do?

Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.

Learning development specialist vs specialist salary

Learning development specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Learning Development Specialist	Specialist
Average salary	$73,541	$58,013
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $109,000	Between $32,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Clifford Chance	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between learning development specialist and specialist education

There are a few differences between a learning development specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:

	Learning Development Specialist	Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Learning development specialist vs specialist demographics

Here are the differences between learning development specialists' and specialists' demographics:

	Learning Development Specialist	Specialist
Average age	44	42
Gender ratio	Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3%	Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	11%

Differences between learning development specialist and specialist duties and responsibilities

Learning development specialist example responsibilities.

Work independently and as part of a team to achieve optimal learning retention on EMR systems within the hospital environment.
Lead experiential learning in supervisory skills, conflict management, leadership, team building and organization process effectiveness.
Create and update existing adult learning programs, workbooks, PowerPoint presentations.
Develop standards for job/task analysis, instructor-le training materials, train-the-trainer activities, course maintenance plans, and performance assessment/evaluation tools.
Process FMLA requests and letters.
Facilitate the creation of SharePoint portal and MyLearning.

Specialist example responsibilities.

Create, manage, and assist users with SharePoint sites.
Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
Manage SharePoint sites by creating, editing, and customizing company sites, libraries and security.
Manage the building of accounts, assigning of static IP's, and scheduling of business class installations.
Convert servers from UNIX to Linux, all hardware diagnostics and repair including printers/plotters/desktops etc.
Follow safety procedures such as maintenance of all equipment (Telxon scanners, terminals and ladders).

Learning development specialist vs specialist skills

Common learning development specialist skills

Training Programs, 7%
Project Management, 6%
HR, 6%
Instructional Design, 5%
Subject Matter Experts, 5%
Organizational Development, 4%

Common specialist skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 11%
Work Ethic, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Exceptional Client, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

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Learning Development Specialist
Learning Development Specialist vs Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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