Professional development manager vs professional development director

The differences between professional development managers and professional 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 manager and a professional development director. Additionally, a professional development manager has an average salary of $101,737, which is higher than the $100,545 average annual salary of a professional development director.

The top three skills for a professional development manager include professional growth, project management and educational programs. The most important skills for a professional development director are professional development, oversight, and adult learning.

Professional development manager vs professional development director overview

	Professional Development Manager	Professional Development Director
Yearly salary	$101,737	$100,545
Hourly rate	$48.91	$48.34
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	114,553	103,723
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 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.

Professional development manager vs professional development director salary

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

	Professional Development Manager	Professional Development Director
Average salary	$101,737	$100,545
Salary range	Between $66,000 And $156,000	Between $46,000 And $216,000
Highest paying City	Daly City, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Oregon
Best paying company	Shearman & Sterling	Baker McKenzie
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between professional development manager and professional development director education

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

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

Professional development manager vs professional development director demographics

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

	Professional Development Manager	Professional Development Director
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%	Male, 34.2% Female, 65.8%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 4.1% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between professional development manager and professional development director 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.

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.

Professional development manager vs professional development director 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 professional development director skills

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

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Professional Development Manager
Professional Development Manager vs Professional Development Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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