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Professional development manager salary

Quoted expert
Gregory Zobel Ph.D.

Average professional development manager salary

$101,737

$48.91 hourly rate

Entry-level professional development manager salary
$66,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding the Professional Development Manager Salary

A Professional Development Manager plays a crucial role in enhancing the skills and competencies of employees within an organization. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position stands at $101,737 annually, translating to about $49 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, level of experience, and the specific industry.

In states like California, New York, and Texas, Professional Development Managers often see higher salaries, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals in these regions. For instance, the highest paying states typically offer salaries exceeding $120,000 annually, making these locations attractive for job seekers in this field.

Moreover, opportunities for advancement within this career path are abundant, with many employers seeking leaders who can foster a culture of continuous learning and development. Understanding these trends helps candidates align their skills with market demands, ultimately shaping successful career trajectories. For those considering this career, exploring salary estimates and job openings across different regions can provide valuable insights into maximizing earning potential.

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Where can a Professional Development Manager earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
153k
133k
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53k
Columbus, OH$126,896
Birmingham, AL$83,116
Compare salary by company
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231k
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Shearman & Sterling$207,268
Humana$100,802

Professional development manager salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor and Payscale, the average salary for a professional development manager typically falls between $78,039 and $101,737.
zippia
$101,737yearly
glassdoor[1]
$99,561yearly
Salary.com[2]
$81,539yearly
payscale[3]
$78,039yearly

Average professional development manager salary by state

The highest-paying states for professional development managers are Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. The lowest average professional development manager salary states are Alaska, Minnesota, and Florida.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for professional development managers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Massachusetts$119,217$57.32
2Wisconsin$102,093$49.08
3New Jersey$118,091$56.77
4Arkansas$98,541$47.38
5Connecticut$119,110$57.26
6New Hampshire$118,226$56.84
7Vermont$115,777$55.66
8Maine$104,817$50.39
9West Virginia$93,770$45.08
10New Mexico$95,552$45.94
11Rhode Island$104,451$50.22
12New York$118,221$56.84
13California$117,315$56.40
14Delaware$103,275$49.65
15Oregon$106,780$51.34
16Pennsylvania$89,578$43.07
17Texas$90,733$43.62
18Illinois$102,644$49.35
19Ohio$90,717$43.61
20Maryland$105,714$50.82
21Arizona$91,214$43.85
22Iowa$91,964$44.21
23Virginia$102,344$49.20
24North Carolina$99,502$47.84
25Georgia$89,717$43.13
26North Dakota$83,537$40.16
27District of Columbia$94,444$45.41
28Michigan$86,833$41.75
29Washington$95,145$45.74
30Nevada$87,861$42.24
31Tennessee$84,133$40.45
32Indiana$82,098$39.47
33Wyoming$80,999$38.94
34Kansas$83,594$40.19
35Mississippi$83,738$40.26
36South Dakota$80,631$38.76
37Alabama$83,544$40.17
38Kentucky$82,132$39.49
39Montana$80,105$38.51
40Alaska$75,605$36.35
41Minnesota$73,139$35.16
42Hawaii$67,964$32.67
43Idaho$85,909$41.30
44South Carolina$79,346$38.15
45Louisiana$80,194$38.55
46Utah$81,437$39.15
47Florida$71,748$34.49
48Missouri$70,813$34.04
49Oklahoma$78,282$37.64
50Colorado$79,752$38.34
51Nebraska$69,151$33.25
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Highest paying cities for professional development managers

The highest-paying cities for professional development managers are Daly City, CA, Boston, MA, and Stamford, CT.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Daly City, CA$126,896$61.01
2Boston, MA$120,088$57.73
3Stamford, CT$119,495$57.45
4New York, NY$119,034$57.23
5Bend, OR$107,077$51.48
6Baltimore, MD$106,366$51.14
7Newport, RI$104,817$50.39
8Arlington, VA$103,882$49.94
9Chicago, IL$103,425$49.72
10Charlotte, NC$98,086$47.16
11Seattle, WA$95,527$45.93
12Washington, DC$94,495$45.43
13Charleston, WV$92,889$44.66
14Canton, OH$92,550$44.50
15Dallas, TX$92,167$44.31
16Alpharetta, GA$89,656$43.10
17Detroit, MI$87,300$41.97
18Fargo, ND$84,762$40.75
19Olathe, KS$83,639$40.21
20Birmingham, AL$83,116$39.96

Professional development manager salary details

A professional development manager's salary ranges from $66,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $156,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average professional development manager salary graph
Average professional development manager salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a professional development manager's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$156,000$13,000$75
75th Percentile$127,000$10,583$61
Average$101,737$8,478$49
25th Percentile$81,000$6,750$39
10th Percentile$66,000$5,500$32

Highest paying professional development manager jobs

The highest paying types of professional development managers are development vice president, senior development manager, and development manager.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Training Administrator$44,622$3,718$21.4577,966
Director Of Training$78,115$6,510$37.5635,497
Manager$58,651$4,888$28.201,236,194
HSE Manager$85,844$7,154$41.2722,562
Manager, Learning & Development$88,297$7,358$42.4575,189
Development Vice President$156,085$13,007$75.0494,188

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

Gregory Zobel Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Educational Technology, Education & Leadership, Western Oregon University

Whether graduates start in higher education or industry usually ranges from $50,000 to $80,000. If students augment EdTech and Instructional Design training with User Experience, Interaction Design, Technical Communication, or Project Management, they could quickly jump up another ten to twenty thousand dollars. All that said, it depends on where people find personal fulfillment--education or industry. Ideally, graduates will make the most of their degrees and pivot between the two. That way, they can develop themselves and their skills most robustly while bringing the best of both worlds together in a smooth synthesis.

Top companies hiring professional development managers now:

  1. McKinsey & Company Inc jobs (17)
  2. Bimbo Bakeries jobs (2)
  3. Discovery jobs (2)
  4. Covance jobs (2)
  5. Accenture jobs (2)

Which companies pay professional development managers the most?

Professional development manager salaries at Shearman & Sterling and Sidley Austin are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average professional development manager salary at companies like McKinsey & Company Inc and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Shearman & Sterling$207,268$99.65
2Sidley Austin$194,921$93.71
3McKinsey & Company Inc$180,936$86.99
4JPMorgan Chase & Co.$149,213$71.74
5Fox Rothschild$141,304$67.93
6BMO Capital Markets$137,153$65.94
7Cooley$130,838$62.90
8Stanley Black & Decker$126,499$60.82
9Gartner$124,611$59.91
10Brigham and Women's Hospital$123,338$59.30
11Weyerhaeuser International, Inc$121,283$58.31
12UPMC$119,584$57.49
13UMass Memorial Health$116,237$55.88
14Baylor Scott & White Health$110,147$52.96
15South Georgia Medical Center$109,455$52.62
16Houston Methodist$108,244$52.04
17St Anthony's Hospital Inc$105,160$50.56
18REV Holdings LLC$102,775$49.41
19American Pharmacists Association$102,264$49.17
20Humana$100,802$48.46

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$101,000$100,400$99,800$99,200$98,600$98,000
MaleFemale

Professional development manager salary trends

The average professional development manager salary has risen by $21,027 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average professional development manager earned $80,710 annually, but today, they earn $101,737 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for professional development managers over the last decade.

Compare professional development manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average professional development manager salary over time

Compare professional development manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Professional development manager salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$102,000$48.91+2.0%
2024$99,700$47.94+1.8%
2023$98,000$47.09+2.8%
2022$95,200$45.79+2.2%
2021$93,100$44.76+3.0%

Recently added professional development manager salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Per ScholasProfessional Development ManagerNew York, NY06/25/2025$65,000
Start EarlyProfessional Development ManagerChicago, IL06/24/2025$89,000
Gateway FoundationProfessional Relations ManagerSpringfield, MO06/23/2025$60,664
Foley & Lardner LLPAttorney Professional Development ManagerDallas, TX06/21/2025$136,200
Trademark Paralegal (Intellectual Property) In Chicago, IllinoisAttorney Professional Development ManagerDallas, TX06/21/2025$136,200
Brightspring Health ServicesQualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional Manager-2NdGranite Falls, NC06/17/2025$48,168
Northbay SolutionsManager, Professional CodingFairfield, CA06/11/2025$140,000
UMS GroupMesonet Manager ProfessionalOrono, ME06/10/2025$65,000
University of MaineMesonet Manager ProfessionalOrono, ME06/07/2025$65,000
Res-Care, Inc.Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional Manager-2NdLenoir, NC06/06/2025$48,168

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