State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Training and Development Specialist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Training and Development Specialists earn a median of $69,280 per year ($33.31/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 10.8% through 2034, with about 43,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 13-1151Business and Financial OperationsLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $69,280
- Projected growth
- +10.8%
- Openings a year
- 43,900
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Computer Training Specialist, Corporate Trainer, Job Training Specialist, Leadership Development Specialist, Learning and Development Consultant, Learning and Development Specialist (L and D Specialist).
How much do Training and Development Specialists make?
10th percentile$38,760
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$50,110
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$69,280
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$95,050
Upper quartile
90th percentile$123,250
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $69,280 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $33.31/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $75,550 |
| People employed | 458,300 |
Versus all US occupations
At $69,280, Training and Development Specialists earn 36% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $18,300 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 14% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $123,250 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,760, a gap of 3.2×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 55% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Delaware pays the most at $88,570, and still leads at $88,740 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Training and Development Specialists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $88,570 | $88,740 | 1,590 |
| New Hampshire | $86,050 | $82,609 | N/A |
| Alaska | $81,860 | $79,973 | 530 |
| Washington | $81,860 | $76,495 | 8,130 |
| District of Columbia | $80,980 | $73,684 | 1,900 |
| Massachusetts | $80,270 | $75,900 | 12,190 |
| Connecticut | $78,080 | $75,360 | 3,650 |
| Vermont | $77,800 | $79,422 | 750 |
| Virginia | $77,690 | $76,842 | 15,570 |
| New Jersey | $77,020 | $70,787 | 9,210 |
Is Training and Development Specialist a growing career?
Training and Development Specialists10.8%
All US occupations3.1%
+10.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Training and Development Specialists to change 10.8% over 2024–2034, roughly 3.5× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 48,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 43,900 openings are projected each year, 9.7% of the 452,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employees in many occupations are required to take training and development courses throughout their careers, creating demand for the specialists who lead these activities.
As technology continues to advance, workers may need to learn new skillsets to use these technologies in their jobs. Continuous training and upskilling will increase the demand for training and development specialists as the skills relevant to many occupations evolve.
In addition, more of these specialists are expected to be needed to develop employee training related to complying with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
How to become a Training and Development Specialist
Training and development specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree and related work experience. However, candidates who do not have a bachelor’s degree sometimes qualify for jobs if they have relevant experience.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as training and development specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree78.3%
- High School Diploma8.7%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)8.7%
- Some College Courses4.4%
What does a Training and Development Specialist do?
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.
Training and development specialists plan and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.
Day-to-day 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.
- Design, plan, organize, or direct orientation and training programs for employees or customers.
- Develop alternative training methods if expected improvements are not seen.
- Keep up with developments in area of expertise by reading current journals, books, or magazine articles.
- Attend meetings or seminars to obtain information for use in training programs or to inform management of training program status.
- Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with employees, focus groups, or consultation with managers, instructors, or customer representatives.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where training and development specialists work
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 12% |
|---|---|
| Healthcare and social assistance | 12% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 11% |
| Finance and insurance | 8% |
| Administrative and support services | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Speaking4.4/5
- Learning Strategies4.1/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Writing3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
Transferable skills
- Instructing4.4/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Coordination3.8/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Time Management3.6/5
- Systems Evaluation3.4/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Training and Development Specialist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.0
Investigativeprimary4.0
Artistic3.2
Socialprimary5.6
Enterprising3.7
Conventionalprimary3.8
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Training and Development Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Training and Development Specialists make?
Training and Development Specialists earn a median of $69,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 36% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $33.31/hr. The middle half earn between $50,110 and $95,050. The top 10% earn $123,250 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Training and Development Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Training and Development Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 78.3% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Training and Development Specialist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 10.8% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 43,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Training and Development Specialist do?
Training and development specialists plan and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge. A core O*NET task: present information with a variety of instructional techniques or formats, such as role playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, or lectures. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Data base management system software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Training and Development Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Training and Development Specialists are Delaware ($88,570), New Hampshire ($86,050), Alaska ($81,860) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Training and Development Specialist?
O*NET scores Training and Development Specialists highest on the Social, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ENFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.