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The differences between organizational development consultants and 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 an organizational development consultant and a development specialist. Additionally, an organizational development consultant has an average salary of $76,706, which is higher than the $60,344 average annual salary of a development specialist.
The top three skills for an organizational development consultant include human resources, project management and professional development. The most important skills for a development specialist are customer service, customer satisfaction, and professional development.
| Organizational Development Consultant | Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $76,706 | $60,344 |
| Hourly rate | $36.88 | $29.01 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,542 | 97,188 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An organizational development consultant is primarily responsible for performing research and analysis to help businesses determine ways to optimize processes and workforce. Their responsibilities also include assessing the company's existing operations and systems, evaluating employees' progress, devising strategies to boost productivity and efficiency, creating new programs for training and development, providing advice on various aspects, and sharing expertise in acquiring the right talents during hiring processes. Furthermore, as a consultant, it is essential to lead the development efforts, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A development specialist is responsible for monitoring career training and programs for the employees, improving their capabilities and maximum potential to contribute to the company's growth and success. Development specialists also assist in assessing departmental operations, evaluating training needs, and facilitate skill development discussions and exercises. A development specialist helps identify business opportunities to generate more revenues for the organization and improve profitability status. A development specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills and comprehensive knowledge of human management to assist employees with their inquiries and concerns.
Organizational development consultants and development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Organizational Development Consultant | Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $76,706 | $60,344 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $112,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Campbell, CA | Edison, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Citrix | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | - |
There are a few differences between an organizational development consultant and a development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Organizational Development Consultant | Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Boston University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between organizational development consultants' and development specialists' demographics:
| Organizational Development Consultant | Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% | Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 4.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 12% |