Training and Development Specialists: Career Overview
Design or conduct work-related training and development programs to improve individual skills or organizational performance. May analyze organizational training needs or evaluate training effectiveness.
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What Do Training and Development Specialists Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of training and development specialists cover:
- Present information with a variety of instructional techniques or formats, such as role playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, or lectures.
- Obtain, organize, or develop training procedure manuals, guides, or course materials, such as handouts or visual materials.
- Evaluate modes of training delivery, such as in-person or virtual, to optimize training effectiveness, training costs, or environmental impacts.
- Offer specific training programs to help workers maintain or improve job skills.
- Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with employees, focus groups, or consultation with managers, instructors, or customer representatives.
- Monitor, evaluate, or record training activities or program effectiveness.
- Design, plan, organize, or direct orientation and training programs for employees or customers.
- Develop alternative training methods if expected improvements are not seen.
What Training and Development Specialists Need to Know
Effective training and development specialists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Training and Development Specialists Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Applications Trainer
- Apprenticeship and Training Representative
- Auxiliary Personnel Inservice Coordinator
- Bilingual Trainer
- Certified EPIC Trainer (Certified Electronic Privacy Information Center Trainer)
- Computer Software Training Specialist
- Computer Technology Trainer
- Computer Training Specialist
Job Outlook
There are about 559,597 training and development specialists working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +11.3% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Training and Development Specialists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $63,210 |
| Hourly median | $30.39 |
| 10th percentile | $44,637 |
| 25th percentile | $53,924 |
| 75th percentile | $72,496 |
| 90th percentile | $81,782 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $84,460 |
| Wyoming | $83,450 |
| Washington | $82,910 |
| Connecticut | $79,660 |
| Delaware | $79,320 |
| New Jersey | $76,660 |
| Virginia | $76,250 |
| Minnesota | $75,980 |
| Alaska | $75,010 |
| New York | $73,550 |
| Massachusetts | $73,480 |
| Maryland | $73,220 |
| California | $72,930 |
| Colorado | $72,790 |
| Rhode Island | $72,600 |
| New Hampshire | $71,740 |
| Oregon | $70,320 |
| Maine | $67,420 |
| Vermont | $67,180 |
| Wisconsin | $66,990 |
| Arizona | $66,000 |
| Alabama | $65,520 |
| Florida | $65,010 |
| Kansas | $64,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,640 |
| Nebraska | $64,520 |
| South Carolina | $64,020 |
| Ohio | $63,790 |
| Illinois | $63,550 |
| Michigan | $63,520 |
| Texas | $63,450 |
| Indiana | $63,440 |
| New Mexico | $63,090 |
| Georgia | $62,930 |
| Iowa | $62,440 |
| South Dakota | $62,170 |
| North Dakota | $61,880 |
| Hawaii | $61,410 |
| Oklahoma | $61,400 |
| West Virginia | $61,310 |
| Nevada | $60,970 |
| North Carolina | $60,790 |
| Utah | $60,510 |
| Montana | $59,900 |
| Kentucky | $58,650 |
| Missouri | $58,120 |
| Tennessee | $57,930 |
| Idaho | $57,740 |
| Louisiana | $57,020 |
| Mississippi | $52,160 |
| Arkansas | $48,330 |
| Virgin Islands | $44,670 |
| Guam | $43,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,360 |
Where Training and Development Specialists Earn the Most
Pay for training and development specialists vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $73,622 | 4.7% | 1.01 |
| Far Western US | $73,296 | 14.7% | 0.88 |
| Middle Atlantic | $72,407 | 13.7% | 0.90 |
| Rocky Mountains | $67,205 | 5.0% | 1.28 |
| Plains States | $66,178 | 6.5% | 0.98 |
| Great Lakes | $64,191 | 14.0% | 1.00 |
| Southwest | $63,740 | 14.0% | 1.11 |
| Southeast | $63,511 | 27.2% | 1.16 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Training and Development Specialists
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casper, WY | WY | $99,350 | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $97,530 | 3,050 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $92,710 | 6,060 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $92,390 | 7,080 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $90,400 | 360 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | WV | $84,910 | 50 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $84,830 | 570 |
| Cheyenne, WY | WY | $83,450 | 230 |
Top Industries Employing Training and Development Specialists
Most training and development specialists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 53,050 | $79,060 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 51,120 | $65,200 |
| Educational Services | 44,210 | $73,920 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 35,910 | $34,490 |
| Finance and Insurance | 33,870 | $77,230 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 31,990 | $60,200 |
| Manufacturing | 31,800 | $64,530 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 25,370 | $58,710 |
Training and Development Specialists work in the following industries:
Software Training and Development Specialists Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Django (hot technology)
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of training and development specialists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
How to Become Training and Development Specialists
Entry-level training and development specialists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Human Resources Managers (Supplemental)
- Training and Development Managers (Primary-Short)
- Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare (Supplemental)
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (Supplemental)
- Fitness and Wellness Coordinators (Primary-Long)
- Human Resources Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Future training and development specialists typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
3 programs across 1 majors
Education
2 programs across 2 majors
Psychology
1 programs across 1 majors
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-1151.00 (Training and Development Specialists).
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