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Learning manager vs learning specialist

The differences between learning managers and learning 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 manager and a learning specialist. Additionally, a learning manager has an average salary of $90,652, which is higher than the $57,035 average annual salary of a learning specialist.

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

Learning manager vs learning specialist overview

Learning ManagerLearning Specialist
Yearly salary$90,652$57,035
Hourly rate$43.58$27.42
Growth rate7%8%
Number of jobs19,82638,229
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4544
Years of experience44

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 learning specialist do?

Learning specialists are highly skilled teachers providing educational support to students who struggle academically at schools. They are responsible for working closely with students and their parents to develop a learning strategy suitable for a student's learning style to improve their grades and academic progress. Other responsibilities of a learning specialist include educating teachers and parents on learning differences, communicating with teachers and parents regularly about a student's progress, and keeping abreast of current teaching methods.

Learning manager vs learning specialist salary

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

Learning ManagerLearning Specialist
Average salary$90,652$57,035
Salary rangeBetween $59,000 And $136,000Between $37,000 And $87,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CANewark, NJ
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyMetaMeta
Best paying industry-Insurance

Differences between learning manager and learning specialist education

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

Learning ManagerLearning Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Learning manager vs learning specialist demographics

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

Learning ManagerLearning Specialist
Average age4544
Gender ratioMale, 44.7% Female, 55.3%Male, 32.8% Female, 67.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.0% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage18%12%

Differences between learning manager and learning specialist 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.
  • Show more

Learning specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead strategic planning for eLearning initiatives and manage company-wide training for laboratory information system update.
  • Manage the integration of the student information system Jenzabar CX/JICS with Moodle.
  • Lead experiential learning in supervisory skills, conflict management, leadership, team building and organization process effectiveness.
  • Instruct on how to create PowerPoint presentations and debate an argument during an oral defense.
  • Develop individualized education plans for students who receive math intervention services.
  • Tutor and advise undergraduate level courses in introductory statistics and mathematics.
  • Show more

Learning manager vs learning specialist skills

Common learning manager skills
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Instructional Design, 8%
  • Blended Learning, 8%
  • HR, 7%
  • Professional Development, 6%
  • Learning Solutions, 5%
Common learning specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Professional Development, 6%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
  • Instructional Design, 4%

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