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Professional development manager vs training development director

The differences between professional development managers and training 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 training development director. Additionally, a professional development manager has an average salary of $101,737, which is higher than the $78,066 average annual salary of a training 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 training development director are project management, human resources, and professional development.

Professional development manager vs training development director overview

Professional Development ManagerTraining Development Director
Yearly salary$101,737$78,066
Hourly rate$48.91$37.53
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs114,55377,410
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4545
Years of experience44

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 training development director do?

A training development director spearheads and oversees programs designed to provide training and development services to employees, typically in a corporate setting. Among their responsibilities include developing career and training plans, performing research and analysis to identify the needs of employees, conducting skills assessments, gathering and analyzing data, setting goals, establishing guidelines and timelines, and liaising with external parties such as suppliers and vendors. Moreover, a training development director leads and encourages teams to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Professional development manager vs training development director salary

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

Professional Development ManagerTraining Development Director
Average salary$101,737$78,066
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $156,000Between $42,000 And $143,000
Highest paying CityDaly City, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsOregon
Best paying companyShearman & SterlingFirst Republic Bank
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between professional development manager and training development director education

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

Professional Development ManagerTraining Development Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Professional development manager vs training development director demographics

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

Professional Development ManagerTraining Development Director
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 41.9% Female, 58.1%Male, 52.6% Female, 47.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 4.2% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage18%18%

Differences between professional development manager and training 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.

Training development director example responsibilities.

  • Manage instructional design and facilitation teams to create exceptional instructor-le and eLearning interventions.
  • Extend product revenue by delivering new products for managing configuration of Linux platforms.
  • Provide a comprehensive training approach including eLearning and classroom-base training.
  • Develop and market management training programs and leadership initiatives base on ongoing assessments of enterprise-wide needs and client consultations.
  • Formalize processes; create and maintain training records and prepare statistical reports to evaluate performance and ROI.
  • Determine learning and performance requirements for clients through needs analyses, along with customization requirements and follow-up ROI analyses.
  • Show more

Professional development manager vs training 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 training development director skills
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Human Resources, 5%
  • Professional Development, 5%
  • Training Development, 5%
  • Training Curriculum, 5%
  • Learning Management System, 4%

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