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Management development specialist salary

Quoted expert
Del Ross

Average management development specialist salary

$80,223

$38.57 hourly rate

Entry-level management development specialist salary
$54,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding the Salary of Management Development Specialists

As of October 2025, the average salary for a Management Development Specialist stands at $80,223 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, specialists with several years of experience may earn considerably more than those just entering the field.

Salaries by Experience Level

Entry-level positions typically start around $60,000, while experienced professionals can command salaries exceeding $100,000 annually. In addition, specialists in metropolitan areas often enjoy higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.

Top Earning States

States like California and New York consistently show higher salary ranges, reflecting the concentration of industries in these areas. Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring specialists set realistic salary expectations and identify lucrative opportunities.

Exploring Job Opportunities

Management Development Specialists also have the chance to work in various sectors, including corporate, non-profit, and academic environments. This versatility not only enriches their career but also expands their earning potential across diverse job markets.

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Where can a Management Development Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location
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Columbus, OH$134,291
Tallahassee, FL$74,069
Compare salary by company
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AQR Capital Management$125,818
World Wide Technology$89,927

Management development specialist salaries by experience level

Average management development specialist salary by state

The highest-paying states for management development specialists are Washington, Connecticut, and Illinois. The lowest average management development specialist salary states are Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for management development specialists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Nevada$91,479$43.98
2Texas$86,002$41.35
3Washington$131,682$63.31
4Illinois$100,356$48.25
5South Dakota$81,922$39.39
6Connecticut$103,180$49.61
7Montana$96,833$46.55
8Rhode Island$89,476$43.02
9North Carolina$86,432$41.55
10Maine$90,126$43.33
11California$97,263$46.76
12Ohio$80,749$38.82
13Oregon$89,141$42.86
14Indiana$80,734$38.81
15Kansas$80,341$38.63
16North Dakota$77,029$37.03
17Virginia$83,824$40.30
18New Jersey$89,383$42.97
19Minnesota$79,851$38.39
20Wisconsin$79,688$38.31
21Mississippi$82,070$39.46
22Wyoming$81,839$39.35
23New Hampshire$84,189$40.48
24Missouri$79,529$38.24
25Alabama$78,678$37.83
26District of Columbia$90,544$43.53
27Alaska$76,468$36.76
28Pennsylvania$75,319$36.21
29Georgia$77,642$37.33
30Louisiana$77,420$37.22
31Massachusetts$82,367$39.60
32Nebraska$72,863$35.03
33Delaware$79,542$38.24
34New Mexico$70,724$34.00
35Idaho$71,321$34.29
36Colorado$80,838$38.86
37Arizona$70,425$33.86
38New York$78,927$37.95
39Iowa$71,335$34.30
40Utah$76,530$36.79
41Michigan$68,973$33.16
42Vermont$73,513$35.34
43Florida$69,215$33.28
44Oklahoma$69,262$33.30
45Maryland$77,599$37.31
46Hawaii$53,570$25.75
47Tennessee$65,176$31.33
48Arkansas$59,750$28.73
49Kentucky$62,669$30.13
50West Virginia$56,131$26.99
51South Carolina$64,170$30.85
Top management development specialist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for management development specialists

The highest-paying cities for management development specialists are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Greenwich, CT.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Seattle, WA$134,291$64.56
2San Francisco, CA$108,456$52.14
3Greenwich, CT$103,772$49.89
4Evanston, IL$100,674$48.40
5Washington, DC$90,585$43.55
6Irving, TX$87,379$42.01
7Wilmington, NC$85,158$40.94
8Norfolk, VA$83,741$40.26
9Boston, MA$82,335$39.58
10Saint Louis, MO$80,748$38.82
11Columbus, OH$80,720$38.81
12Boulder, CO$80,688$38.79
13Bloomington, MN$79,926$38.43
14Milwaukee, WI$79,843$38.39
15Wilmington, DE$79,669$38.30
16Cheyenne, WY$79,592$38.27
17New York, NY$79,170$38.06
18Atlanta, GA$78,002$37.50
19Baltimore, MD$77,736$37.37
20Tallahassee, FL$74,069$35.61

Management development specialist salary details

A management development specialist's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $118,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average management development specialist salary graph
Average management development specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a management development specialist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$118,000$9,833$57
75th Percentile$98,000$8,167$47
Average$80,223$6,685$39
25th Percentile$65,000$5,417$31
10th Percentile$54,000$4,500$26

Highest paying management development specialist jobs

The highest paying types of management development specialists are senior technician specialist, senior training specialist, and development officer.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Corporate Trainer$58,803$4,900$28.2752,090
Certified Trainer$54,770$4,564$26.3354,839
Team Trainer$31,576$2,631$15.1854,150
Trainer Lead$72,175$6,015$34.7043,216
Trainer$47,574$3,964$22.8740,650
Training Coordinator$46,698$3,891$22.4554,796

How would you rate the starting salaries for management development specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Del Ross

Chief Revenue Officer, Hotel Effectiveness

In 2019, the Assistant General Manager position was one of the highest turnover roles in every hotel. With low unemployment, tomorrow's industry leaders' best and brightest were routinely leaving the hotel business to pursue careers in other areas. As a result, there will be many opportunities for new graduates and increased competition for this talent as the economy and the hotel business recovers from COVID19. While starting salaries and wage rates for hotel staff will remain low, compared to other industries, new hires' growth potential will be unprecedented. We expect a modest increase in starting wages over the next 24 months, followed by an acceleration of the promotion cycle to fill the gap in management depth created before the pandemic even began.

Top companies hiring management development specialists now:

  1. AQR Capital Management jobs (6)
  2. Philip Morris International jobs (2)
  3. AT&T jobs (2)
  4. Merkle jobs (4)
  5. Accenture jobs (3)

Which companies pay management development specialists the most?

Management development specialist salaries at AQR Capital Management and McKinsey & Company Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average management development specialist salary at companies like Barclays and General Motors are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1AQR Capital Management$125,818$60.49
2McKinsey & Company Inc$114,092$54.85
3Barclays$107,187$51.53
4General Motors$102,755$49.40
5DXC Technology$102,128$49.10
6Atlantic Capital Bank$98,635$47.42
7AT&T$98,550$47.38
8Magnetar Capital$98,329$47.27
9Control Risks$96,689$46.49
10Abt Associates$96,577$46.43
11Medtronic$95,933$46.12
12HCSC$94,371$45.37
13Merkle$93,933$45.16
14Norman Regional Health System$92,849$44.64
15Cintas$92,067$44.26
16EVO Payments$91,447$43.96
17Selective Insurance$90,481$43.50
18VIVA USA$90,202$43.37
19Accenture$89,995$43.27
20World Wide Technology$89,927$43.23

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$82,000$80,800$79,600$78,400$77,200$76,000
MaleFemale

Management Development Specialist salary by industry

The average management development specialist salary varies across industries:

  • The average management development specialist salary in the technology industry is $94,237, the highest of any industry.
  • The average management development specialist salary in the finance industry is $90,421.
  • Management development specialists in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $60,914, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for management development specialists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Technology$94,237$45.31
2Professional$90,421$43.47
3Retail$82,584$39.70
4Hospitality$60,914$29.29

High paying management development specialist jobs

Management development specialist salary trends

The average management development specialist salary has risen by $9,660 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average management development specialist earned $70,563 annually, but today, they earn $80,223 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for management development specialists over the last decade.

Compare management development specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average management development specialist salary over time

Compare management development specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Management development specialist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$80,200$38.57+2.4%
2025$78,300$37.65+0.6%
2024$77,900$37.44+0.8%
2023$77,200$37.13+2.2%
2022$75,500$36.30+1.4%

Recently added management development specialist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Professional Search of The CarolinasPower Platform/Crm Developer-Remote Contract-Raleigh NCRaleigh, NC06/29/2025$146,090
University of Illinois Medical CenterTraining and Development Specialist I, Emergency ManagementChicago, IL06/27/2025$78,500
University of Illinois at ChicagoTraining and Development Specialist I, Emergency ManagementChicago, IL06/26/2025$78,500
Lincoln FinancialTreasury Specialist-Cash ManagementGreensboro, NC06/12/2025$53,500
Professional Search of The CarolinasPower Platform CRM DeveloperRaleigh, NC04/22/2025$187,830
Aston CarterTalent Management SpecialistLenexa, KS04/19/2025$85,000
CBRECash Management SpecialistBloomington, MN04/04/2025$43,500
ExelonSR Management Development Specialist-PecoKane, PA03/29/2025$82,400
Saginaw County Community Mental Health AuthorityLmsw, LPC, Lmft, LP: Care Management SpecialistSaginaw, MI03/28/2025$66,662
Professional Search of The CarolinasPower Platform CRM DeveloperRaleigh, NC03/27/2025$187,830

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