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The differences between professional development coordinators and workforce 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 a professional development coordinator and a workforce development specialist. Additionally, a professional development coordinator has an average salary of $77,943, which is higher than the $43,666 average annual salary of a workforce development specialist.
The top three skills for a professional development coordinator include powerpoint, training programs and curriculum development. The most important skills for a workforce development specialist are social services, training programs, and HR.
| Professional Development Coordinator | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $77,943 | $43,666 |
| Hourly rate | $37.47 | $20.99 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 129,135 | 80,041 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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.
A workforce development specialist is responsible for designing and conducting training and development programs to significantly improve organizational and individual performance. You will perform a few duties that include evaluating training delivery modes, such as virtual or in-person to optimize training effectiveness and costs, developing, obtaining, or organizing training guides and procedure manuals, and coordinating the placement of trainees. As a workforce development specialist, you also have to choose and assign training instructors and negotiating contracts with clients.
Professional development coordinators and workforce development specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Development Coordinator | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Average salary | $77,943 | $43,666 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $127,000 | Between $28,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Ropes & Gray | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a professional development coordinator and a workforce development specialist in terms of educational background:
| Professional Development Coordinator | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between professional development coordinators' and workforce development specialists' demographics:
| Professional Development Coordinator | Workforce Development Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |