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What is a student development specialist and how to become one
Student development specialists play a vital role in the growth and development of students within an educational institution. Their main goal is to create a positive learning environment as well as provide the best quality of education to all students, which are crucial in helping students make the most out of their time at school.
Some examples of a student development specialist's duties include developing educational campaigns, identifying specific student needs, assessing the efficacy of current educational programs, providing counseling to students or teachers, and attending meetings with school administrators for the improvement of educational programs.
A student development specialist starts their career by completing a degree in psychology, education, or other relevant fields. Many gain experience in a similar role prior to applying for a specialist position, which makes sense because most employers require previous working experience.
When it comes to compensation, a student development specialist makes an average of $37,000 per year, depending on their school district, level of education, and prior work experience.
What general advice would you give to a student development specialist?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Avg. Salary $41,280
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 8%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%
Asian 5.88%
Black or African American 10.15%
Hispanic or Latino 17.19%
Unknown 6.31%
White 59.95%
Genderfemale 64.59%
male 35.41%
Age - 44American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 44Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Student development specialist career paths
Key steps to become a student development specialist
Explore student development specialist education requirements
Start to develop specific student development specialist skills
Skills Percentages Student Development 25.87% Professional Development 11.09% Student Services 10.76% Event Planning 7.03% Student Organizations 6.90% Complete relevant student development specialist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New student development specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a student development specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real student development specialist resumes.Research student development specialist duties and responsibilities
- Manage and coordinate all aspects of EOF program special events and leadership-relate activities.
- Used Microsoft applications to create informative PowerPoint's, brochures and advertisements market to high school students.
- Travele the state of Montana to high schools and tribal colleges to build relationships with counselors and administration.
- Design and develop complex enterprise java applications, object orient software, work on code optimization and data modeling.
Prepare your student development specialist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your student development specialist resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a student development specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable student development specialist resume templates
Build a professional student development specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your student development specialist resume.
Apply for student development specialist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a student development specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first student development specialist job
Are you a student development specialist?
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Average student development specialist salary
The average student development specialist salary in the United States is $41,280 per year or $20 per hour. Student development specialist salaries range between $31,000 and $53,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do student development specialists rate their job?
Student development specialist reviews
First of all, i'll say that i like the routine. I have had amazing health benefits because of waking up early and go to school because i live quite far. In the school, i like the working mechanism and how everyone is committed and dedicated for the job. The most important thing i like is that how i am able to make my place in the room of young, enthusiast children who see me as their mentor. I love being the change maker and i's always love to be a professional learning specialist because this is what angels would do.
I do not like if any of my students is getting punished by any senior colleague or even his or her parents. I believe the change might occur if we just listen to the concerns of the young lot.
The interaction with students, the progress of the students and the opportunities to develop programs.
Updated January 8, 2025
