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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.
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.
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.
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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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.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $91,479 | $43.98 |
| 2 | Texas | $86,002 | $41.35 |
| 3 | Washington | $131,682 | $63.31 |
| 4 | Illinois | $100,356 | $48.25 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $81,922 | $39.39 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $103,180 | $49.61 |
| 7 | Montana | $96,833 | $46.55 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $89,476 | $43.02 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $86,432 | $41.55 |
| 10 | Maine | $90,126 | $43.33 |
| 11 | California | $97,263 | $46.76 |
| 12 | Ohio | $80,749 | $38.82 |
| 13 | Oregon | $89,141 | $42.86 |
| 14 | Indiana | $80,734 | $38.81 |
| 15 | Kansas | $80,341 | $38.63 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $77,029 | $37.03 |
| 17 | Virginia | $83,824 | $40.30 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $89,383 | $42.97 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $79,851 | $38.39 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $79,688 | $38.31 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $82,070 | $39.46 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $81,839 | $39.35 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $84,189 | $40.48 |
| 24 | Missouri | $79,529 | $38.24 |
| 25 | Alabama | $78,678 | $37.83 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $90,544 | $43.53 |
| 27 | Alaska | $76,468 | $36.76 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $75,319 | $36.21 |
| 29 | Georgia | $77,642 | $37.33 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $77,420 | $37.22 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | $82,367 | $39.60 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $72,863 | $35.03 |
| 33 | Delaware | $79,542 | $38.24 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $70,724 | $34.00 |
| 35 | Idaho | $71,321 | $34.29 |
| 36 | Colorado | $80,838 | $38.86 |
| 37 | Arizona | $70,425 | $33.86 |
| 38 | New York | $78,927 | $37.95 |
| 39 | Iowa | $71,335 | $34.30 |
| 40 | Utah | $76,530 | $36.79 |
| 41 | Michigan | $68,973 | $33.16 |
| 42 | Vermont | $73,513 | $35.34 |
| 43 | Florida | $69,215 | $33.28 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $69,262 | $33.30 |
| 45 | Maryland | $77,599 | $37.31 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $53,570 | $25.75 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $65,176 | $31.33 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $59,750 | $28.73 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $62,669 | $30.13 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $56,131 | $26.99 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $64,170 | $30.85 |
The highest-paying cities for management development specialists are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Greenwich, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $134,291 | $64.56 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $108,456 | $52.14 |
| 3 | Greenwich, CT | $103,772 | $49.89 |
| 4 | Evanston, IL | $100,674 | $48.40 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $90,585 | $43.55 |
| 6 | Irving, TX | $87,379 | $42.01 |
| 7 | Wilmington, NC | $85,158 | $40.94 |
| 8 | Norfolk, VA | $83,741 | $40.26 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $82,335 | $39.58 |
| 10 | Saint Louis, MO | $80,748 | $38.82 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $80,720 | $38.81 |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $80,688 | $38.79 |
| 13 | Bloomington, MN | $79,926 | $38.43 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $79,843 | $38.39 |
| 15 | Wilmington, DE | $79,669 | $38.30 |
| 16 | Cheyenne, WY | $79,592 | $38.27 |
| 17 | New York, NY | $79,170 | $38.06 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $78,002 | $37.50 |
| 19 | Baltimore, MD | $77,736 | $37.37 |
| 20 | Tallahassee, FL | $74,069 | $35.61 |
A management development specialist's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $118,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly 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 |
The highest paying types of management development specialists are senior technician specialist, senior training specialist, and development officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Trainer | $58,803 | $4,900 | $28.27 | 52,090 |
| Certified Trainer | $54,770 | $4,564 | $26.33 | 54,839 |
| Team Trainer | $31,576 | $2,631 | $15.18 | 54,150 |
| Trainer Lead | $72,175 | $6,015 | $34.70 | 43,216 |
| Trainer | $47,574 | $3,964 | $22.87 | 40,650 |
| Training Coordinator | $46,698 | $3,891 | $22.45 | 54,796 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for management development specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
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Top companies hiring management development specialists now:
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.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AQR Capital Management | $125,818 | $60.49 |
| 2 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $114,092 | $54.85 |
| 3 | Barclays | $107,187 | $51.53 |
| 4 | General Motors | $102,755 | $49.40 |
| 5 | DXC Technology | $102,128 | $49.10 |
| 6 | Atlantic Capital Bank | $98,635 | $47.42 |
| 7 | AT&T | $98,550 | $47.38 |
| 8 | Magnetar Capital | $98,329 | $47.27 |
| 9 | Control Risks | $96,689 | $46.49 |
| 10 | Abt Associates | $96,577 | $46.43 |
| 11 | Medtronic | $95,933 | $46.12 |
| 12 | HCSC | $94,371 | $45.37 |
| 13 | Merkle | $93,933 | $45.16 |
| 14 | Norman Regional Health System | $92,849 | $44.64 |
| 15 | Cintas | $92,067 | $44.26 |
| 16 | EVO Payments | $91,447 | $43.96 |
| 17 | Selective Insurance | $90,481 | $43.50 |
| 18 | VIVA USA | $90,202 | $43.37 |
| 19 | Accenture | $89,995 | $43.27 |
| 20 | World Wide Technology | $89,927 | $43.23 |
The average management development specialist salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $94,237 | $45.31 |
| 2 | Professional | $90,421 | $43.47 |
| 3 | Retail | $82,584 | $39.70 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $60,914 | $29.29 |
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.
Compare management development specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly 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% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Search of The Carolinas | Power Platform/Crm Developer-Remote Contract-Raleigh NC | Raleigh, NC | 06/29/2025 | $146,090 |
| University of Illinois Medical Center | Training and Development Specialist I, Emergency Management | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $78,500 |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | Training and Development Specialist I, Emergency Management | Chicago, IL | 06/26/2025 | $78,500 |
| Lincoln Financial | Treasury Specialist-Cash Management | Greensboro, NC | 06/12/2025 | $53,500 |
| Professional Search of The Carolinas | Power Platform CRM Developer | Raleigh, NC | 04/22/2025 | $187,830 |
| Aston Carter | Talent Management Specialist | Lenexa, KS | 04/19/2025 | $85,000 |
| CBRE | Cash Management Specialist | Bloomington, MN | 04/04/2025 | $43,500 |
| Exelon | SR Management Development Specialist-Peco | Kane, PA | 03/29/2025 | $82,400 |
| Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority | Lmsw, LPC, Lmft, LP: Care Management Specialist | Saginaw, MI | 03/28/2025 | $66,662 |
| Professional Search of The Carolinas | Power Platform CRM Developer | Raleigh, NC | 03/27/2025 | $187,830 |
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