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The differences between learning development specialists and workforce 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 workforce development specialist. Additionally, a learning development specialist has an average salary of $73,541, which is higher than the $43,666 average annual salary of a workforce development specialist.
The top three skills for a learning development specialist include training programs, project management and HR. The most important skills for a workforce development specialist are social services, training programs, and HR.
| Learning Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $73,541 | $43,666 |
| Hourly rate | $35.36 | $20.99 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 81,817 | 80,041 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 workforce development specialist is responsible for designing and conducting training and development programs to significantly improve organizational and individual performance. You will perform a few duties that include evaluating training delivery modes, such as virtual or in-person to optimize training effectiveness and costs, developing, obtaining, or organizing training guides and procedure manuals, and coordinating the placement of trainees. As a workforce development specialist, you also have to choose and assign training instructors and negotiating contracts with clients.
Learning development specialists and workforce development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Learning Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $73,541 | $43,666 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $109,000 | Between $28,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Clifford Chance | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a learning development specialist and a workforce development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Learning Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between learning development specialists' and workforce development specialists' demographics:
| Learning Development Specialist | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |