Training and development specialists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,760 | $18.64 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $69,280 | $33.31 |
| Mean (average) | $75,550 | $36.32 |
| 90th percentile | $123,250 | $59.26 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Training and development specialists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,490 | $39,690 | $114,010 | 3,000 | 0.48 |
| Alaska | $81,860 | $48,130 | $127,140 | 530 | 0.55 |
| Arizona | $67,140 | $41,500 | $114,180 | ||
| Arkansas | $52,290 | $29,490 | $96,950 | 3,880 | 1.01 |
| California | $75,790 | $43,320 | $134,270 | 46,530 | 0.87 |
| Colorado | $75,790 | $37,490 | $116,970 | 12,100 | 1.43 |
| Connecticut | $78,080 | $44,030 | $137,040 | 3,650 | 0.73 |
| Delaware | $88,570 | $57,260 | $119,780 | 1,590 | 1.11 |
| District of Columbia | $80,980 | $38,570 | $135,040 | 1,900 | 0.92 |
| Florida | $71,990 | $38,370 | $118,190 | 34,130 | 1.17 |
| Georgia | $67,320 | $40,480 | $120,180 | 16,200 | 1.12 |
| Guam | $42,950 | $22,380 | $74,620 | 50 | 0.24 |
| Hawaii | $60,960 | $33,470 | $134,220 | 1,200 | 0.65 |
| Idaho | $61,720 | $30,720 | $102,600 | 2,430 | 0.96 |
| Illinois | $67,380 | $39,430 | $119,970 | 15,140 | 0.84 |
| Indiana | $61,050 | $39,060 | $101,520 | 8,450 | 0.9 |
| Iowa | $66,110 | $42,370 | $118,070 | 4,670 | 1.02 |
| Kansas | $62,010 | $41,640 | $107,900 | 5,150 | 1.22 |
| Kentucky | $61,390 | $38,700 | $103,690 | 6,090 | 1.03 |
| Louisiana | $58,070 | $39,240 | $105,200 | 3,030 | 0.53 |
| Maine | $65,680 | $48,210 | $112,940 | 1,600 | 0.85 |
| Maryland | $76,370 | $39,240 | $128,610 | 9,800 | 1.2 |
| Massachusetts | $80,270 | $41,790 | $129,670 | 12,190 | 1.14 |
| Michigan | $64,350 | $38,550 | $106,250 | 10,640 | 0.82 |
| Minnesota | $76,710 | $50,470 | $124,630 | 9,650 | 1.11 |
| Mississippi | $53,680 | $38,110 | $96,400 | 2,820 | 0.82 |
| Missouri | $58,670 | $31,720 | $100,670 | ||
| Montana | $62,880 | $35,970 | $99,750 | 900 | 0.59 |
| Nebraska | $65,700 | $46,430 | $104,500 | 3,650 | 1.21 |
| Nevada | $61,350 | $40,510 | $102,610 | 3,440 | 0.75 |
| New Hampshire | $86,050 | $50,790 | $100,580 | ||
| New Jersey | $77,020 | $36,570 | $133,700 | 9,210 | 0.73 |
| New Mexico | $62,900 | $37,870 | $111,990 | 2,190 | 0.85 |
| New York | $76,080 | $40,220 | $133,620 | 27,460 | 0.96 |
| North Carolina | $65,250 | $33,170 | $115,110 | 20,220 | 1.39 |
| North Dakota | $63,260 | $47,770 | $98,200 | 670 | 0.53 |
| Ohio | $64,780 | $33,450 | $108,030 | 17,690 | 1.08 |
| Oklahoma | $61,040 | $31,550 | $104,120 | 5,440 | 1.08 |
| Oregon | $76,360 | $49,500 | $122,980 | 5,190 | 0.9 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,350 | $45,040 | $118,270 | 14,780 | 0.83 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,820 | $26,690 | $83,090 | ||
| Rhode Island | $75,910 | $46,420 | $151,560 | 1,130 | 0.77 |
| South Carolina | $63,070 | $38,790 | $116,210 | 6,960 | 1.03 |
| South Dakota | $61,570 | $44,200 | $86,200 | 520 | 0.39 |
| Tennessee | $62,280 | $38,000 | $116,280 | 9,370 | 0.97 |
| Texas | $62,860 | $33,250 | $113,870 | 46,630 | 1.12 |
| Utah | $60,900 | $38,000 | $107,390 | 6,140 | 1.2 |
| Vermont | $77,800 | $46,070 | $128,060 | 750 | 0.84 |
| Virgin Islands | $50,430 | $32,950 | $99,490 | 40 | 0.44 |
| Virginia | $77,690 | $41,870 | $130,180 | 15,570 | 1.29 |
| Washington | $81,860 | $47,910 | $135,800 | 8,130 | 0.78 |
| West Virginia | $64,960 | $39,970 | $101,080 | 1,710 | 0.83 |
| Wisconsin | $70,770 | $45,780 | $105,650 | 9,360 | 1.08 |
| Wyoming | $69,380 | $41,210 | $128,300 | 550 | 0.67 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for training and development specialists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 46,000. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.6%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for training and development specialists
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Organizational Communication, General CIP 09.0901
- Educational/Instructional Technology CIP 13.0501
- Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching CIP 13.1201
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology CIP 42.2804
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General CIP 52.1001
- Human Resources Development CIP 52.1005
- Executive/Career Coaching CIP 52.1006
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Learning management system LMS (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- Django (hot technology)
- Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Service Orientation, Time Management.
Common job titles: Computer Training Specialist, Corporate Trainer, Job Training Specialist, Leadership Development Specialist, Learning and Development Consultant, Learning and Development Specialist (L and D Specialist), Management Development Specialist, Trainer, Training and Development Consultant, Training Specialist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do training and development specialists make?
The national median annual wage for training and development specialists was $69,280 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $38,760 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $123,250. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do training and development specialists need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is training and development specialists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of training and development specialists to change +10.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 46,000 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay training and development specialists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Delaware ($88,570), New Hampshire ($86,050), Alaska ($81,860). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.