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The differences between professional development directors and directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a professional development director, becoming a director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a director has an average salary of $113,489, 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 director are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.
| Professional Development Director | Director | |
| Yearly salary | $100,545 | $113,489 |
| Hourly rate | $48.34 | $54.56 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 103,723 | 230,711 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life. They work with the writers to get a clear vision of how the production should look. They lead the production team in planning for the production, identifying filming or rehearsing schedules, casting for roles, and other aspects that need to be decided upon. Directors provide direction to the actors to ensure that the actors understand their role and will be able to effectively convey emotions to the audience. They also manage all other crew members and communicate their expectations clearly so that everyone on the set is working towards one vision.
Professional development directors and directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Development Director | Director | |
| Average salary | $100,545 | $113,489 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $216,000 | Between $66,000 And $192,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New York |
| Best paying company | Baker McKenzie | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a professional development director and a director in terms of educational background:
| Professional Development Director | Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between professional development directors' and directors' demographics:
| Professional Development Director | Director | |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.2% Female, 65.8% | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 14% |