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The differences between organizational development specialists 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 specialist and a development specialist. Additionally, an organizational development specialist has an average salary of $71,788, which is higher than the $60,344 average annual salary of a development specialist.
The top three skills for an organizational development specialist include organizational development, project management and human resources. The most important skills for a development specialist are customer service, customer satisfaction, and professional development.
| Organizational Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $71,788 | $60,344 |
| Hourly rate | $34.51 | $29.01 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 70,016 | 97,188 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An organizational development specialist is responsible for identifying the operational challenges of the organization, developing strategic procedures to improve policies, and ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of business processes. Organizational development specialists address the employees' inquiries and concerns with operational procedures and develop comprehensive training and programs to maximize their productivity and skill knowledge on the production. They may also recommend changes in the organizational structure, depending on operational demands and required support. An organization development specialist creates progress reports, designs assessment materials, and analyzes training survey data.
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 specialists and development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Organizational Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $71,788 | $60,344 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $104,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | Edison, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Citrix | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an organizational development specialist and a development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Organizational Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between organizational development specialists' and development specialists' demographics:
| Organizational Development Specialist | Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6% | Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 6.0% White, 59.7% 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 | 12% | 12% |