Training and development managers held about 38,100 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of training and development managers were as follows:
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 13 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 11 |
| Finance and insurance | 10 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 9 |
Training and development managers typically work in offices. Some travel between a main office and regional offices or training facilities. They spend much of their time working with people and overseeing training activities.
Work Schedules
Most training and development managers work full time during regular business hours. Some work more than 40 hours per week.
Candidates typically need a combination of education and related work experience to become a training and development manager. Although many positions require a bachelor’s degree, some jobs require a master’s degree.
Education
Many positions require training and development managers to have a bachelor’s degree, but some jobs require a master’s degree. Although training and development managers come from a variety of educational backgrounds, these workers commonly have a bachelor’s degree in business, communications, social science, or a related field.
Some employers prefer or require training and development managers to have a master’s degree with a concentration in training and development, human resources management, organizational development, or business administration (MBA).
Training and development managers may also benefit from studying instructional design, behavioral psychology, or educational psychology.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Related work experience is essential for training and development managers. Many positions require work experience in management, teaching, or training and development or another human resources field. For example, some training and development managers start out as training and development specialists. Some employers also prefer experience in the industry in which the company operates.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Although it is not required for training and development managers, certification may show professional expertise. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have certification, and some positions require it.
Many professional associations for human resources professionals offer classes to enhance the skills of their members. Some associations, including the Association for Talent Development and the International Society for Performance Improvement, specialize in training and development and offer certification programs. The Society for Human Resource Management offers general human resources certification.
Training and development managers 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 manager, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Training and development managers should also possess the following specific qualities:
Communication skills. Communication skills are essential for training and development managers because they often give presentations. Workers must communicate information clearly and facilitate learning by diverse audiences. They also must be able to effectively convey instructions to their staff.
Critical-thinking skills. Training and development managers use critical-thinking skills when assessing classes, materials, and programs. They must identify the training needs of an organization and recognize where changes and improvements can be made.
Decision-making skills. Training and development managers must decide the best training programs to meet the needs of the organization. For example, they must review available training methods and materials and choose those that best fit each program.
Interpersonal skills. Training and development managers need strong interpersonal skills because delivering training programs requires collaborating with staff, trainees, subject matter experts, and the organization’s leaders. They also accomplish much of their work through teams.
Leadership skills. Leadership skills are important for training and development managers, who are often in charge of a staff and are responsible for many programs. Managers must be able to organize, motivate, and instruct those working under them.
The median annual wage for training and development managers was $120,130 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 $64,370, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $207,420.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for training and development managers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $132,020 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 127,020 |
| Finance and insurance | 119,400 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 100,720 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 99,660 |
Most training and development managers work full time during regular business hours. Some work more than 40 hours per week.
Employment of training and development managers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 3,700 openings for training and development managers 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
In many occupations, employees are required to take continuing education and skill development courses throughout their careers, creating demand for workers who develop and provide training materials.
Innovations in training methods and learning technology are expected to continue throughout the decade, particularly for organizations with remote workers. Organizations use social media, visual simulations, mobile learning, and social networks in their training programs. Training and development managers need to continue modifying training programs, allocating budgets, and integrating these features into training programs and curriculums.
In addition, as companies seek to reduce costs, training and development managers may be required to structure programs to enlist available experts, take advantage of existing resources, and facilitate positive relationships among staff. Training and development managers may use informal collaborative learning and social media to engage and train employees in the most cost-effective way.
For more information about training and development managers, including certification, visit
Association for Talent Development
International Society for Performance Improvement
For information about human resources management careers and certification, visit
Society for Human Resource Management