Professional development manager vs director of training

The differences between professional development managers and directors of training 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 manager and a director of training. Additionally, a professional development manager has an average salary of $101,737, which is higher than the $78,115 average annual salary of a director of training.

The top three skills for a professional development manager include professional growth, project management and educational programs. The most important skills for a director of training are customer service, training materials, and project management.

Professional development manager vs director of training overview

	Professional Development Manager	Director Of Training
Yearly salary	$101,737	$78,115
Hourly rate	$48.91	$37.56
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	114,553	35,497
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

What does a professional development manager do?

A professional development manager is typically responsible for designing and developing career and professional growth programs in companies. Their responsibilities usually include planning interviews and assessments to identify the employees' needs, establishing guidelines and timelines, coordinating staff, liaising with internal and external parties, and collaborating with other experts. They must also develop training programs to enhance employees' soft and hard skills. Moreover, as a professional development manager, they must lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a director of training do?

Training directors are responsible for directing the planning, design, and implementation of training programs. They are responsible for assessing and identifying the company's training needs, maintaining a consistent culture regarding training, and managing and directing employee training. Training directors are expected to provide engaging communication about the program to encourage employee participation and emphasize the benefits and value of exercise. They are also expected to establish and maintain good relationships with vendors to provide more training programs.

Professional development manager vs director of training salary

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

	Professional Development Manager	Director Of Training
Average salary	$101,737	$78,115
Salary range	Between $66,000 And $156,000	Between $46,000 And $130,000
Highest paying City	Daly City, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Hawaii
Best paying company	Shearman & Sterling	Cheniere Energy
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between professional development manager and director of training education

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

	Professional Development Manager	Director Of Training
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Professional development manager vs director of training demographics

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

	Professional Development Manager	Director Of Training
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%	Male, 59.7% Female, 40.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 4.1% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 4.1% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between professional development manager and director of training duties and responsibilities

Professional development manager example 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.
Team with speakers and sponsors to develop materials including PowerPoint and case studies.
Develop content and deliver professional skills training including client development, professional responsibility, ethics, and legal practice skills.

Director of training example responsibilities.

Lead the successful transition of in-house FMLA administration from vendor.
Qualify leads via strategic selling, spin selling tools, CRM and Miller-Heiman process.
Manage logistics, customer service, supply chain, third-party contractors, staffing and training.
Collaborate with cross functional teams to manage several projects, including the revamping of the existing FMLA process.
Manage advertisement planning and execution to maximize ROI.
Restructure territory alignments, integrate inside sales and enlist distributors to take maximum advantage of the market opportunity.

Professional development manager vs director of training skills

Common professional development manager skills

Professional Growth, 11%
Project Management, 11%
Educational Programs, 10%
Staff Development, 10%
Training Programs, 7%
Training Sessions, 4%

Common director of training skills

Customer Service, 15%
Training Materials, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Oversight, 5%
Professional Development, 5%
Training Curriculum, 4%

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Professional Development Manager
Professional Development Manager vs Director Of Training

Updated January 8, 2025

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