Pay by state · 54 areas
Training and Development Specialist Salary by State (2026)
Training and Development Specialists earn the most in Delaware at $88,570 a year and the least in Arkansas at $52,290 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $69,280. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $88,570Delaware
- National median
- $69,280BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $52,290Arkansas
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for training and development specialists
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Delaware$88,570
- 2New Hampshire$86,050
- 3Alaska$81,860
- 4Washington$81,860
- 5District of Columbia$80,980
Lowest median pay
- 1Arkansas$52,290
- 2Mississippi$53,680
- 3Louisiana$58,070
- 4Missouri$58,670
- 5Utah$60,900
All states
Training and Development Specialist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of training and development specialists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DEDelaware | $88,570 | $64,080 | $108,850 | 1,590 | $88,740 |
| 2 | NHNew Hampshire | $86,050 | $64,790 | $86,050 | N/A | $82,609 |
| 3 | AKAlaska | $81,860 | $61,580 | $105,280 | 530 | $79,973 |
| 4 | WAWashington | $81,860 | $62,400 | $108,830 | 8,130 | $76,495 |
| 5 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $80,980 | $47,890 | $111,720 | 1,900 | $73,684 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $80,270 | $55,990 | $114,970 | 12,190 | $75,900 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $78,080 | $52,840 | $105,740 | 3,650 | $75,360 |
| 8 | VTVermont | $77,800 | $58,700 | $106,090 | 750 | $79,422 |
| 9 | VAVirginia | $77,690 | $57,530 | $101,030 | 15,570 | $76,842 |
| 10 | NJNew Jersey | $77,020 | $49,500 | $102,080 | 9,210 | $70,787 |
| 11 | MNMinnesota | $76,710 | $62,160 | $99,710 | 9,650 | $77,783 |
| 12 | MDMaryland | $76,370 | $46,800 | $101,800 | 9,800 | $72,762 |
| 13 | OROregon | $76,360 | $60,470 | $99,670 | 5,190 | $73,877 |
| 14 | NYNew York | $76,080 | $56,320 | $102,640 | 27,460 | $70,496 |
| 15 | RIRhode Island | $75,910 | $58,110 | $108,930 | 1,130 | $74,218 |
| 16 | CACalifornia | $75,790 | $51,360 | $105,440 | 46,530 | $68,452 |
| 17 | COColorado | $75,790 | $50,770 | $98,480 | 12,100 | $73,545 |
| 18 | FLFlorida | $71,990 | $49,810 | $93,410 | 34,130 | $69,613 |
| 19 | PAPennsylvania | $71,350 | $55,170 | $96,160 | 14,780 | $73,125 |
| 20 | WIWisconsin | $70,770 | $57,020 | $83,800 | 9,360 | $75,211 |
| 21 | WYWyoming | $69,380 | $51,540 | $101,990 | 550 | $74,851 |
| 22 | ILIllinois | $67,380 | $48,920 | $95,120 | 15,140 | $67,408 |
| 23 | GAGeorgia | $67,320 | $50,260 | $88,100 | 16,200 | $69,912 |
| 24 | AZArizona | $67,140 | $51,990 | $94,450 | N/A | $66,689 |
| 25 | IAIowa | $66,110 | $50,240 | $84,240 | 4,670 | $75,329 |
| 26 | NENebraska | $65,700 | $53,350 | $83,190 | 3,650 | $72,917 |
| 27 | MEMaine | $65,680 | $52,320 | $89,130 | 1,600 | $67,676 |
| 28 | NCNorth Carolina | $65,250 | $47,470 | $90,400 | 20,220 | $69,175 |
| 29 | WVWest Virginia | $64,960 | $50,190 | $82,060 | 1,710 | $72,583 |
| 30 | OHOhio | $64,780 | $45,960 | $86,550 | 17,690 | $69,826 |
| 31 | ALAlabama | $64,490 | $47,300 | $83,600 | 3,000 | $72,605 |
| 32 | MIMichigan | $64,350 | $49,540 | $84,750 | 10,640 | $66,880 |
| 33 | NDNorth Dakota | $63,260 | $52,810 | $82,890 | 670 | $71,111 |
| 34 | SCSouth Carolina | $63,070 | $47,220 | $85,710 | 6,960 | $67,275 |
| 35 | NMNew Mexico | $62,900 | $49,230 | $80,280 | 2,190 | $68,212 |
| 36 | MTMontana | $62,880 | $49,580 | $81,740 | 900 | $66,438 |
| 37 | TXTexas | $62,860 | $46,610 | $85,470 | 46,630 | $64,766 |
| 38 | TNTennessee | $62,280 | $48,550 | $84,190 | 9,370 | $67,791 |
| 39 | KSKansas | $62,010 | $48,640 | $80,630 | 5,150 | $68,848 |
| 40 | IDIdaho | $61,720 | $45,940 | $80,010 | 2,430 | $64,632 |
| 41 | SDSouth Dakota | $61,570 | $52,350 | $77,340 | 520 | $69,503 |
| 42 | KYKentucky | $61,390 | $47,500 | $77,680 | 6,090 | $68,091 |
| 43 | NVNevada | $61,350 | $47,760 | $80,850 | 3,440 | $61,363 |
| 44 | INIndiana | $61,050 | $48,490 | $80,120 | 8,450 | $65,414 |
| 45 | OKOklahoma | $61,040 | $43,950 | $83,360 | 5,440 | $69,488 |
| 46 | HIHawaii | $60,960 | $41,600 | $93,290 | 1,200 | $55,443 |
| 47 | UTUtah | $60,900 | $49,170 | $83,260 | 6,140 | $61,600 |
| 48 | MOMissouri | $58,670 | $38,730 | $76,960 | N/A | $64,602 |
| 49 | LALouisiana | $58,070 | $48,000 | $77,160 | 3,030 | $65,834 |
| 50 | MSMississippi | $53,680 | $45,600 | $71,980 | 2,820 | $61,735 |
| 51 | ARArkansas | $52,290 | $38,320 | $70,630 | 3,880 | $60,147 |
| 52 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $50,430 | $40,930 | $75,190 | 40 | N/A |
| 53 | PRPuerto Rico | $47,820 | $34,640 | $59,710 | N/A | N/A |
| 54 | GUGuam | $42,950 | $28,480 | $49,390 | 50 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For training and development specialists, the adjustment does not change the leader: Delaware is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $88,740.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Training and Development Specialist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays training and development specialists the most?
Delaware reports the highest median wage for training and development specialists at $88,570 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Hampshire ($86,050) and Alaska ($81,860).
Which state pays training and development specialists the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Arkansas reports the lowest median for training and development specialists at $52,290 a year, $36,280 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $50,430, Puerto Rico reports $47,820 and Guam reports $42,950.
Is the highest-paying state the best for training and development specialists after cost of living?
Yes. Delaware stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $88,740 in national-average dollars from a raw $88,570. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.