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The differences between organizational development specialists and training 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 training specialist. Additionally, a training specialist has an average salary of $77,231, which is higher than the $71,788 average annual salary of an organizational 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 training specialist are customer service, training programs, and training materials.
| Organizational Development Specialist | Training Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $71,788 | $77,231 |
| Hourly rate | $34.51 | $37.13 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 70,016 | 61,581 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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.
As the name entails, training specialists are the ones who design and perform training programs that will foster employees' workplace performance and align with the core values of an organization. They have varied responsibilities, including identifying employee training needs, preparing teaching plans and developing an annual training program, and turning requirements into training to aid employees in their career development. They are also responsible for implementing training courses, staying up-to-date on the new tools and trends in employee development, and evaluating existing programs periodically.
Organizational development specialists and training specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Organizational Development Specialist | Training Specialist | |
| Average salary | $71,788 | $77,231 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $104,000 | Between $53,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | Dallas, TX |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Citrix | CoreLogic |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an organizational development specialist and a training specialist in terms of educational background:
| Organizational Development Specialist | Training Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between organizational development specialists' and training specialists' demographics:
| Organizational Development Specialist | Training Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| 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, 11.2% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |