Professional development manager vs training manager

The differences between professional development managers and training managers 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 manager. Additionally, a professional development manager has an average salary of $101,737, which is higher than the $73,453 average annual salary of a training manager.

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

Professional development manager vs training manager overview

	Professional Development Manager	Training Manager
Yearly salary	$101,737	$73,453
Hourly rate	$48.91	$35.31
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	114,553	121,521
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
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 training manager do?

A training manager is responsible for directing new staff with the tasks and training programs, leading the business to its growth and profitable development. Training managers' duties include supervising the staff's performance and improvement, facilitating knowledge assessment and developmental training, sharing strategic plans and techniques, creating effective training manuals, monitoring training expenses, and evaluating areas of improvement. A training manager must have excellent leadership and communication skills, as well as extensive experience on how to improve the team's performance and enhance their capabilities.

Professional development manager vs training manager salary

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

	Professional Development Manager	Training Manager
Average salary	$101,737	$73,453
Salary range	Between $66,000 And $156,000	Between $45,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	Daly City, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	Shearman & Sterling	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between professional development manager and training manager education

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

	Professional Development Manager	Training Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Professional development manager vs training manager demographics

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

	Professional Development Manager	Training Manager
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%
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, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 4.1% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between professional development manager and training manager 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 manager example responsibilities.

Assist in running multi-unit stores as needed, while still achieving sales plan at home store :
Calculate and lead team in analyzing business metrics, allowing for focuse store visits with positive ROI.
Manage and process information for owner/user agencies to include DoD facilities that require compliance with the NISPOM.
Train sales associates on how to market new products with existing store inventory, and manage all POS transactions.
Manage elearning program development from concept through implementation.
Supervise all restaurant operations including service, quality, cleanliness, sanitation, training, scheduling, and inventory control.

Professional development manager vs training manager 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 manager skills

Customer Service, 19%
Leadership, 8%
Brainstorming, 7%
Food Safety, 4%
Payroll, 4%
Cash Control, 3%

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Professional Development Manager
Professional Development Manager vs Training Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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