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What is a professional development manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Caryn Beck-Dudley

Professional Development Managers are responsible for creating, training, and supporting professional development plans for the organization. This may include further education, soft skills, vocational training, job placement, job coaching, and career advancement. They oversee the evaluation of how effective training activities are and make recommendations for improvement. They also ensure the integration of training methods, systems, and processes to help accomplish the organization's goals and objectives. Sometimes, they create training materials like learning modules.

Employers require a bachelor's degree in a business-related field and a minimum of three years of work experience in a related role. Applicants must possess analytical, communication, creativity, interpersonal, critical thinking, and presentation skills. You must be experienced in database management and record keeping. Additionally, you must be proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Suite. An average salary of $125,536 is what professional development managers are paid per year, which is $60.35 per hour. It ranges from $77,000 to $203,000.

What general advice would you give to a professional development manager?

Caryn Beck-DudleyCaryn Beck-Dudley LinkedIn profile

President and CEO, AACSB International

Disruption from COVID-19 has touched every aspect of the business world, including the future of accounting and auditing. In our "new normal," there is a growing focus on a digitally-led work world, and it's important that learners and graduates are well prepared for this transformation. AACSB-accredited schools are responding quickly and leading the charge to help guide and prepare these agile learners to be successful in all their future endeavors.
ScoreProfessional Development ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.6

Avg. Salary $101,737

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.1

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.50%

Asian 4.10%

Black or African American 11.18%

Hispanic or Latino 15.92%

Unknown 5.44%

White 62.85%

Gender

female 58.10%

male 41.90%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
6.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Professional development manager career paths

Key steps to become a professional development manager

  1. Explore professional development manager education requirements

    Most common professional development manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    67.5 %

    Master's

    17.0 %

    Associate

    8.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific professional development manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Professional Growth11.17%
    Project Management10.86%
    Educational Programs10.30%
    Staff Development9.97%
    Training Programs7.14%
  3. Complete relevant professional development manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New professional development managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a professional development manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real professional development manager resumes.
  4. Research professional development manager duties and responsibilities

    • Manage SDLC process, while participating in requirements gathering, functional documentation, data analysis, and implementation plans.
    • Attend and at times chair San Diego CME providers network to share best practices across organizations.
    • Negotiate with product management, development and QA to ensure operational support requirements are incorporated into new product design specifications.
    • Create bi-weekly target HDQ messages direct to flight attendants via e-Board PowerPoint slides.
  5. Prepare your professional development manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your professional development manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a professional development manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable professional development manager resume templates

    Build a professional professional development manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your professional development manager resume.
    Professional Development Manager Resume
    Professional Development Manager Resume
    Professional Development Manager Resume
    Professional Development Manager Resume
    Professional Development Manager Resume
    Professional Development Manager Resume
    Professional Development Manager Resume
    Professional Development Manager Resume
    Professional Development Manager Resume
  6. Apply for professional development manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a professional development manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first professional development manager job

Zippi

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Average professional development manager salary

The average professional development manager salary in the United States is $101,737 per year or $49 per hour. Professional development manager salaries range between $66,000 and $156,000 per year.

Average professional development manager salary
$101,737 Yearly
$48.91 hourly

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How do professional development managers rate their job?

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Professional development manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Engaging people Change the organization See Organization grow See positive results

Cons

Working long hours


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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