Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between professional development coordinators 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 a professional development coordinator and a training specialist. Additionally, a professional development coordinator has an average salary of $77,943, which is higher than the $77,231 average annual salary of a training specialist.
The top three skills for a professional development coordinator include powerpoint, training programs and curriculum development. The most important skills for a training specialist are customer service, training programs, and training materials.
| Professional Development Coordinator | Training Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $77,943 | $77,231 |
| Hourly rate | $37.47 | $37.13 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 129,135 | 61,581 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A professional development coordinator spearheads activities that help professionals develop and meet their short and long-term career goals. It is their responsibility to meet with clients to identify and understand their needs and preferences, research ideal opportunities, facilitate training and workshops, and refer clients to other services when necessary. They may also perform clerical tasks such as preparing and processing documents, answering inquiries, and handling calls and correspondence. Moreover, they must manage staff while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Professional development coordinators and training specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Development Coordinator | Training Specialist | |
| Average salary | $77,943 | $77,231 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $127,000 | Between $53,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Dallas, TX |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Ropes & Gray | CoreLogic |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a professional development coordinator and a training specialist in terms of educational background:
| Professional Development Coordinator | Training Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between professional development coordinators' and training specialists' demographics:
| Professional Development Coordinator | Training Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.3% 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% |