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What is a learning specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Mary Collins,
Maria Salazar Ph.D.
introduction image

Sometimes, regular schools and educators simply don't cut it. Learning Specialists are highly skilled educators working with middle and upper school students who may struggle academically, providing them with specialized education, organization, and additional aid.

To help their students, the Specialists may use many different methods they had picked up during their long career and schooling. They also often counsel families on how best to support and educate their children.

A candidate for this position must have at least a Bachelor's in an education-related field, as well as a strong background and knowledge of social work and education itself.

What general advice would you give to a learning specialist?

Mary CollinsMary Collins LinkedIn profile

Professor, Creative Writing/Nonfiction, Program Coordinator, Writing Minors, Career/Internship Advisor, Central Connecticut State University

The main point: your career STARTS IN COLLEGE. The one best place to secure good skills is at the university itself. You can take on tasks at the Student Center that no company would hire you for because you are so inexperienced. So edit the literary journal, write for the newspaper, work for the radio station. Take an internship for course credit. Those that do these things and secure a good faculty mentor do much better when they get out than students who do not. Indeed, national studies show that these factors are more important than the school you go to by far.
ScoreLearning SpecialistUS Average
Salary
4.5

Avg. Salary $57,035

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.5

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 6.29%

Black or African American 10.98%

Hispanic or Latino 16.08%

Unknown 6.48%

White 59.66%

Gender

female 67.22%

male 32.78%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Learning specialist career paths

Key steps to become a learning specialist

  1. Explore learning specialist education requirements

    Most common learning specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    58.9 %

    Master's

    26.8 %

    Associate

    8.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific learning specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service8.92%
    Professional Development6.16%
    Project Management4.82%
    Subject Matter Experts4.59%
    PowerPoint4.37%
  3. Complete relevant learning specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New learning specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a learning specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real learning specialist resumes.
  4. Research learning specialist duties and 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.
  5. Prepare your learning specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your learning specialist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a learning specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable learning specialist resume templates

    Build a professional learning specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your learning specialist resume.
    Learning Specialist Resume
    Learning Specialist Resume
    Learning Specialist Resume
    Learning Specialist Resume
    Learning Specialist Resume
    Learning Specialist Resume
    Learning Specialist Resume
    Learning Specialist Resume
    Learning Specialist Resume
  6. Apply for learning specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a learning specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first learning specialist job

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Average learning specialist salary

The average learning specialist salary in the United States is $57,035 per year or $27 per hour. Learning specialist salaries range between $37,000 and $87,000 per year.

Average learning specialist salary
$57,035 Yearly
$27.42 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do learning specialists rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Learning specialist reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

First of all, i'll say that i like the routine. I have had amazing health benefits because of waking up early and go to school because i live quite far. In the school, i like the working mechanism and how everyone is committed and dedicated for the job. The most important thing i like is that how i am able to make my place in the room of young, enthusiast children who see me as their mentor. I love being the change maker and i's always love to be a professional learning specialist because this is what angels would do.

Cons

I do not like if any of my students is getting punished by any senior colleague or even his or her parents. I believe the change might occur if we just listen to the concerns of the young lot.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
Pros

Presentation, speak for the product and share information with my audience. Able to see the information shared helps to groom my audience to success


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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