Professional development director vs development director

The differences between professional development directors and development directors 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 director and a development director. Additionally, a development director has an average salary of $107,044, which is higher than the $100,545 average annual salary of a professional development director.

The top three skills for a professional development director include professional development, oversight and adult learning. The most important skills for a development director are digital marketing, oversight, and patients.

Professional development director vs development director overview

	Professional Development Director	Development Director
Yearly salary	$100,545	$107,044
Hourly rate	$48.34	$51.46
Growth rate	7%	8%
Number of jobs	103,723	63,008
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	45	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a professional development director do?

A professional development director spearheads and develops training services and professional development programs to enhance the skills and abilities of employees in a company, paving the way for career growth. They have the responsibility to set goals and objectives, establish guidelines and timelines, coordinate teams and managers, liaise with external agencies, and oversee procedures from planning to execution. Moreover, as a professional development director, it is essential to lead staff while implementing policies and regulations, developing new ones as needed.

What does a development director do?

A development director is an individual who is responsible for securing funds and sponsors for non-profit organizations. Development directors must actively seek new business partners and develop relationships with volunteers and donors. They meet with members of the development team to help advertise and promote brand awareness and funding. Development directors must possess skills and experience in managing human resources, marketing, and budgeting functions. They must also obtain a bachelor's degree in business management, public relations, or related field.

Professional development director vs development director salary

Professional development directors and development directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Professional Development Director	Development Director
Average salary	$100,545	$107,044
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $216,000	Between $64,000 And $177,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	Oregon	New Jersey
Best paying company	Baker McKenzie	Cornerstone Research
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between professional development director and development director education

There are a few differences between a professional development director and a development director in terms of educational background:

	Professional Development Director	Development Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Professional development director vs development director demographics

Here are the differences between professional development directors' and development directors' demographics:

	Professional Development Director	Development Director
Average age	45	42
Gender ratio	Male, 34.2% Female, 65.8%	Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 4.1% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	18%	16%

Differences between professional development director and development director duties and responsibilities

Professional development director example responsibilities.

Extend product revenue by delivering new products for managing configuration of Linux platforms.
Prepare powerpoint to production specifications covering research base on SLIFE learning challenges and key program components for effective instruction of SLIFE.
Supervise certified nursing assistants with bed placement for post-op patients and maintain paperwork require for house clinician.
Implement train-the-trainer programs using SMEs that save the company money by eliminating outside vendors.
Engage in personnel hiring decisions, interview candidates, and identify SMEs for specialize consulting work.
Provide executive oversight and leadership for HR/Payroll best practices driving organizational change.

Development director example responsibilities.

Manage CRM program for coordination and partnerships with marketing resources.
Manage website re-launch, create communications plan, co-le rebranding taskforce.
Manage clients and internal production team to meet budget and scope of contract eLearning solutions.
Help manage the CRM system with input and output for the resource development department and the entire organization.
Manage analytical method validation and method transfer to QC and CMOs for APIs, excipients, and finish products.
Hire, manage and train a team of six sourcing professionals as well as a team of 3 QA managers.

Professional development director vs development director skills

Common professional development director skills

Professional Development, 10%
Oversight, 9%
Adult Learning, 7%
K-12, 7%
Curriculum Development, 6%
Staff Development, 5%

Common development director skills

Digital Marketing, 8%
Oversight, 6%
Patients, 6%
Lead Generation, 5%
ROI, 4%
Project Management, 4%

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Professional Development Director
Professional Development Director vs Development Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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