Training and development specialists plan and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.

Duties

Training and development specialists typically do the following:

  • Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with employees, or consultations with managers or instructors
  • Design and create training manuals, online learning modules, and course materials
  • Review training materials from multiple sources and choose appropriate materials
  • Deliver training to employees using a variety of instructional techniques
  • Assist in evaluating training programs
  • Perform administrative tasks such as monitoring costs, scheduling classes, setting up systems and equipment, and coordinating enrollment

Training and development specialists help create, plan, and run training programs for businesses and organizations. To do this, they must first assess the needs of an organization. They then develop custom training programs that may take place online, in classrooms, or in training facilities.

Training and development specialists organize or run training sessions using lectures, team exercises and other formats. Training also may be in the form of a video, a self-guided instructional manual, or an online application. Training may be collaborative, allowing employees to connect informally with colleagues, experts, and mentors.

Work Environment

Training and development specialists held about 354,800 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of training and development specialists were as follows:

Professional, scientific, and technical services                      12%
Healthcare and social assistance 12
Educational services; state, local, and private 11
Finance and insurance 9
Administrative and support services 8

Training and development specialists spend much of their time working with people, giving presentations, and leading training activities. They also may need to travel to training sites.

Work Schedules

Most training and development specialists work full time during regular business hours.

Education and Training

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.

Education

Training and development specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree, often in a business field such as organizational development or human resources. Other fields of degree include education, social science, psychology, and communications.

Candidates who do not have a bachelor’s degree sometimes qualify for jobs if they have experience developing and delivering training. The experience may need to be extensive and specific to the employer’s industry.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Related work experience is important for most training and development specialists. Positions may require work experience in areas such as staff development or instructional design or in related occupations, such as human resources specialists or teachers.

Employers also may prefer to hire candidates who have work experience in a relevant industry or with virtual learning, mobile training, and technology-based tools. However, employers may hire candidates who have a master’s degree instead of work experience.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Although not usually required, certification shows professional expertise and credibility. However, some employers prefer to hire certified candidates, and some positions require certification. The Association for Talent Development (ATD) and International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) are among the organizations that offer certification programs in training and development.

Advancement

Training and development specialists may advance to training and development manager or human resources manager positions. Workers typically need several years of experience to advance.

Personality and Interests

Training and development specialists typically have an interest in the Helping and Persuading interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Helping interest area indicates a focus on assisting, serving, counseling, or teaching other people. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people.

If you are not sure whether you have a Helping or Persuading interest which might fit with a career as a training and development specialist, you can take a career test to measure your interests.

Training and development specialists should also possess the following specific qualities:

Analytical skills. Training and development specialists must evaluate training programs, methods, and materials, and choose those that best fit each situation.

Instructional skills. Training and development specialists often deliver training programs to employees. They use a variety of teaching techniques and sometimes must adapt their methods to meet the needs of particular groups.

Interpersonal skills. Training and development specialists need strong interpersonal skills because delivering training programs requires collaborating with instructors, trainees, and subject-matter experts. They also accomplish much of their work through teams.

Speaking skills. Speaking skills are essential for training and development specialists because they often give presentations. Specialists must communicate information clearly and facilitate learning by diverse audiences.

Pay

The median annual wage for training and development specialists was $61,570 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,340, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $103,240.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for training and development specialists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Professional, scientific, and technical services                         $77,280
Finance and insurance 63,460
Educational services; state, local, and private 62,600
Healthcare and social assistance 60,110
Administrative and support services 49,210

Most training and development specialists work full time during regular business hours.

Job Outlook

Employment of training and development specialists is projected to grow 8 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 36,500 openings for training and development specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. 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. 

Employment

Employees in many occupations are required to take continuing education and skill development courses throughout their careers, creating demand for workers who lead training activities.

Employment of training and development specialists is projected to grow in many industries as companies develop and introduce new media and technology into their training programs. Innovations in training methods and learning technology should continue throughout the next decade.

In addition, some organizations meet their employees’ needs by outsourcing instruction to firms that specialize in training and development.

For More Information

For more information about training and development specialists, visit

Association for Talent Development (ATD)

International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI)

 

 

FAQ

Where does this information come from?

The career information above is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. This excellent resource for occupational data is published by the U.S. Department of Labor every two years. Truity periodically updates our site with information from the BLS database.

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This information is taken directly from the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Truity does not editorialize the information, including changing information that our readers believe is inaccurate, because we consider the BLS to be the authority on occupational information. However, if you would like to correct a typo or other technical error, you can reach us at help@truity.com.

I am not sure if this career is right for me. How can I decide?

There are many excellent tools available that will allow you to measure your interests, profile your personality, and match these traits with appropriate careers. On this site, you can take the Career Personality Profiler assessment, the Holland Code assessment, or the Photo Career Quiz.

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