Learning manager vs development & program manager

The differences between learning managers and development & program managers 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 manager, becoming a development & program manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a development & program manager has an average salary of $102,824, which is higher than the $90,652 average annual salary of a learning manager.

The top three skills for a learning manager include project management, instructional design and blended learning. The most important skills for a development & program manager are professional development, project management, and program management.

Learning manager vs development & program manager overview

	Learning Manager	Development & Program Manager
Yearly salary	$90,652	$102,824
Hourly rate	$43.58	$49.43
Growth rate	7%	10%
Number of jobs	19,826	186,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	45	39
Years of experience	4	10

What does a learning manager do?

Learning Managers oversee the learning programs of the organization. They identify the learning needs of the organization and continuously seek programs that would address these needs. They design and develop learning strategies and related programs. They also oversee the implementation of the programs and handle the evaluation.

What does a development & program manager do?

The responsibilities of a development and program manager depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, they are in charge of overseeing the operations behind various projects and programs, ensuring everything is running smoothly and efficiently. They must also devise new strategies to improve workforce performance and services, identify new opportunities for profit growth, and determine the needs of clients. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team in the joint effort to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Learning manager vs development & program manager salary

Learning managers and development & program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Learning Manager	Development & Program Manager
Average salary	$90,652	$102,824
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $136,000	Between $76,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Menlo Park, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	Foundation Medicine
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between learning manager and development & program manager education

There are a few differences between a learning manager and a development & program manager in terms of educational background:

	Learning Manager	Development & Program Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Georgia

Learning manager vs development & program manager demographics

Here are the differences between learning managers' and development & program managers' demographics:

	Learning Manager	Development & Program Manager
Average age	45	39
Gender ratio	Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3%	Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 4.2% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	18%	10%

Differences between learning manager and development & program manager duties and responsibilities

Learning manager example responsibilities.

Lead experiential learning in supervisory skills, conflict management, leadership, team building and organization process effectiveness.
Load, update and maintain internal SharePoint compliance site.
Create sharepoint site to house training material for business units.
Define ways to improve metrics analysis to demonstrate performance improvements and ROI impacts.
Support efforts in areas of eLearning, computer skills, and basic supervisory training.
Maintain accurate and update reporting data on usage, solutions of issues, policies\procedures and ROI information.

Development & program manager example responsibilities.

Manage PLM data integrity report and PLM post launch report by project.
Manage a budget of $600,000 each year to maintain annual KPIs.
Develop, establish, and manage product families OEM in and out relationships.
Shape the strategic direction and implement CRM strategies to manage a corporate loyalty program.
Manage the vendor selection process among OEM candidates and manage requirements lock down across vendors.
Manage direct and indirect sales channels and strategic partners within the Americas for new development products.

Learning manager vs development & program manager skills

Common learning manager skills

Project Management, 8%
Instructional Design, 8%
Blended Learning, 8%
HR, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Learning Solutions, 5%

Common development & program manager skills

Professional Development, 22%
Project Management, 10%
Program Management, 8%
Business Development, 4%
HR, 4%
Program Development, 3%

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Learning Manager
Learning Manager vs Development & Program Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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