Training and Development Specialists
Training and Development Specialists (SOC 13-1151) earn a median $69,280 a year ($33.31 an hour) in the United States, with 458,300 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Delaware.
What training and development specialists do
Training and development specialists design and deliver programs that build the skills of employees and improve how an organization performs. The job begins with finding out what training is needed, then developing the content: written manuals, guides, and course materials, along with exercises and assessments. Specialists present material through varied formats such as role playing, simulations, group discussions, videos, or lectures, and they weigh in-person against virtual delivery for effectiveness and cost. Afterward they evaluate how effective the training was, and they run programs that keep workers' skills current. Titles include corporate trainer and apprenticeship and training representative. The occupation excludes postsecondary career and technical education teachers and other teachers and instructors. It differs from training and development managers, who direct the function and supervise staff. They assess needs through surveys, interviews with employees, focus groups, or consultation with managers, and they develop alternative training methods if expected improvements are not seen.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Applications Trainer, Apprenticeship and Training Representative, Auxiliary Personnel Inservice Coordinator, Bilingual Trainer, Certified EPIC Trainer (Certified Electronic Privacy Information Center Trainer).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.64 | $24.09 | $33.31 | $45.70 | $59.26 | $36.32 | 458,300 |
| Annual | $38,760 | $50,110 | $69,280 | $95,050 | $123,250 | $75,550 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where training and development specialists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $27.53 | $30.81 | $42.58 | $52.33 | $57.59 | $43.16 | 1,590 | 3.28 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $57,260 | $64,080 | $88,570 | $108,850 | $119,780 | $89,780 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $24.42 | $31.15 | $41.37 | $41.37 | $48.36 | $38.80 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $50,790 | $64,790 | $86,050 | $86,050 | $100,580 | $80,700 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $23.14 | $29.61 | $39.36 | $50.62 | $61.13 | $41.31 | 530 | 1.62 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $48,130 | $61,580 | $81,860 | $105,280 | $127,140 | $85,910 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $23.03 | $30.00 | $39.35 | $52.32 | $65.29 | $43.01 | 8,130 | 2.29 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $47,910 | $62,400 | $81,860 | $108,830 | $135,800 | $89,460 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.54 | $23.02 | $38.93 | $53.71 | $64.92 | $41.36 | 1,900 | 2.71 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $38,570 | $47,890 | $80,980 | $111,720 | $135,040 | $86,030 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.99 | $22.41 | $30.22 | $41.09 | $54.74 | $33.61 | 46,630 | 3.31 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $33,250 | $46,610 | $62,860 | $85,470 | $113,870 | $69,910 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $20.83 | $24.69 | $36.44 | $50.69 | $64.55 | $40.44 | 46,530 | 2.56 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $43,320 | $51,360 | $75,790 | $105,440 | $134,270 | $84,110 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $18.45 | $23.95 | $34.61 | $44.91 | $56.82 | $35.89 | 34,130 | 3.44 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $38,370 | $49,810 | $71,990 | $93,410 | $118,190 | $74,650 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.34 | $27.08 | $36.58 | $49.35 | $64.24 | $39.72 | 27,460 | 2.84 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $40,220 | $56,320 | $76,080 | $102,640 | $133,620 | $82,620 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $15.95 | $22.82 | $31.37 | $43.46 | $55.34 | $34.51 | 20,220 | 4.09 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $33,170 | $47,470 | $65,250 | $90,400 | $115,110 | $71,770 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dothan, AL | Hourly | $18.48 | $22.80 | $57.70 | $57.70 | $76.07 | $45.83 | 120 | 1.93 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $38,440 | $47,420 | $120,020 | $120,020 | $158,230 | $95,320 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $25.73 | $35.50 | $50.37 | $63.53 | $78.63 | $52.52 | 3,310 | 2.91 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $53,510 | $73,840 | $104,770 | $132,130 | $163,560 | $109,240 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $24.44 | $29.12 | $47.25 | $62.28 | $77.76 | $48.43 | 330 | 2.58 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $50,830 | $60,560 | $98,280 | $129,540 | $161,740 | $100,740 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $24.19 | $31.44 | $45.70 | $61.40 | $77.99 | $48.46 | 6,310 | 2.66 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $50,320 | $65,390 | $95,050 | $127,720 | $162,220 | $100,800 | ||||
| Lexington Park, MD | Hourly | $16.77 | $22.87 | $45.41 | $58.95 | $73.61 | $44.79 | 220 | 3.17 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $34,870 | $47,560 | $94,440 | $122,610 | $153,120 | $93,160 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $19.16 | $27.37 | $38.39 | $51.33 | $66.28 | $41.78 | 22,190 | 2.34 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $39,850 | $56,920 | $79,840 | $106,760 | $137,860 | $86,900 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.72 | $22.69 | $34.61 | $48.50 | $62.49 | $38.26 | 15,030 | 2.40 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $38,940 | $47,200 | $71,990 | $100,870 | $129,990 | $79,570 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $20.17 | $24.99 | $34.14 | $46.22 | $57.19 | $36.55 | 12,930 | 3.19 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $41,960 | $51,980 | $71,010 | $96,130 | $118,960 | $76,020 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $19.19 | $25.65 | $39.62 | $53.16 | $65.51 | $42.00 | 11,490 | 3.66 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $39,920 | $53,360 | $82,400 | $110,560 | $136,250 | $87,350 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.96 | $23.36 | $32.23 | $46.23 | $59.67 | $36.05 | 10,940 | 2.42 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $39,430 | $48,590 | $67,050 | $96,170 | $124,110 | $74,980 | ||||
Top industries employing training and development specialists
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 7.3% of training and development specialists nationally (33,420 jobs) at a median $34,900 a year ($16.78 an hour), followed by Management of Companies and Enterprises (5.4%) and Computer Systems Design and Related Services (4.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 33,420 | 7.3% | $34,900 | $16.78 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 24,530 | 5.4% | $80,000 | $38.46 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services NAICS 541500 | 19,010 | 4.1% | $91,620 | $44.05 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 17,100 | 3.7% | $93,660 | $45.03 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 17,050 | 3.7% | $71,990 | $34.61 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (458,300). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $61,570 for training and development specialists in May 2021 and $69,280 in May 2025, with employment of 336,030 and 458,300.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $61,570 | $29.60 | 336,030 |
| May 2022 | $63,080 | $30.33 | 367,180 |
| May 2023 | $64,340 | $30.94 | 403,480 |
| May 2024 | $65,850 | $31.66 | 436,610 |
| May 2025 | $69,280 | $33.31 | 458,300 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware profile | $42.58 | $88,570 | $57,260 | $119,780 | 1,590 | 3.28 | 1.11 |
| 2 | New Hampshire profile | $41.37 | $86,050 | $50,790 | $100,580 | ** | ** | ** |
| 3 | Alaska profile | $39.36 | $81,860 | $48,130 | $127,140 | 530 | 1.62 | 0.55 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $39.35 | $81,860 | $47,910 | $135,800 | 8,130 | 2.29 | 0.78 |
| 5 | District of Columbia profile | $38.93 | $80,980 | $38,570 | $135,040 | 1,900 | 2.71 | 0.92 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $38.59 | $80,270 | $41,790 | $129,670 | 12,190 | 3.35 | 1.14 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $37.54 | $78,080 | $44,030 | $137,040 | 3,650 | 2.15 | 0.73 |
| 8 | Vermont profile | $37.41 | $77,800 | $46,070 | $128,060 | 750 | 2.47 | 0.84 |
| 9 | Virginia profile | $37.35 | $77,690 | $41,870 | $130,180 | 15,570 | 3.79 | 1.29 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $37.03 | $77,020 | $36,570 | $133,700 | 9,210 | 2.15 | 0.73 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $36.88 | $76,710 | $50,470 | $124,630 | 9,650 | 3.27 | 1.11 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $36.72 | $76,370 | $39,240 | $128,610 | 9,800 | 3.55 | 1.20 |
| 13 | Oregon profile | $36.71 | $76,360 | $49,500 | $122,980 | 5,190 | 2.64 | 0.90 |
| 14 | New York profile | $36.58 | $76,080 | $40,220 | $133,620 | 27,460 | 2.84 | 0.96 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | $36.50 | $75,910 | $46,420 | $151,560 | 1,130 | 2.26 | 0.77 |
| 16 | California profile | $36.44 | $75,790 | $43,320 | $134,270 | 46,530 | 2.56 | 0.87 |
| 17 | Colorado profile | $36.44 | $75,790 | $37,490 | $116,970 | 12,100 | 4.21 | 1.43 |
| 18 | Florida profile | $34.61 | $71,990 | $38,370 | $118,190 | 34,130 | 3.44 | 1.17 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania profile | $34.30 | $71,350 | $45,040 | $118,270 | 14,780 | 2.44 | 0.83 |
| 20 | Wisconsin profile | $34.02 | $70,770 | $45,780 | $105,650 | 9,360 | 3.18 | 1.08 |
| 21 | Wyoming profile | $33.35 | $69,380 | $41,210 | $128,300 | 550 | 1.97 | 0.67 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $32.39 | $67,380 | $39,430 | $119,970 | 15,140 | 2.48 | 0.84 |
| 23 | Georgia profile | $32.37 | $67,320 | $40,480 | $120,180 | 16,200 | 3.31 | 1.12 |
| 24 | Arizona profile | $32.28 | $67,140 | $41,500 | $114,180 | ** | ** | ** |
| 25 | Iowa profile | $31.79 | $66,110 | $42,370 | $118,070 | 4,670 | 3.00 | 1.02 |
| 26 | Nebraska profile | $31.59 | $65,700 | $46,430 | $104,500 | 3,650 | 3.56 | 1.21 |
| 27 | Maine profile | $31.58 | $65,680 | $48,210 | $112,940 | 1,600 | 2.49 | 0.85 |
| 28 | North Carolina profile | $31.37 | $65,250 | $33,170 | $115,110 | 20,220 | 4.09 | 1.39 |
| 29 | West Virginia profile | $31.23 | $64,960 | $39,970 | $101,080 | 1,710 | 2.44 | 0.83 |
| 30 | Ohio profile | $31.15 | $64,780 | $33,450 | $108,030 | 17,690 | 3.19 | 1.08 |
| 31 | Alabama profile | $31.00 | $64,490 | $39,690 | $114,010 | 3,000 | 1.42 | 0.48 |
| 32 | Michigan profile | $30.94 | $64,350 | $38,550 | $106,250 | 10,640 | 2.42 | 0.82 |
| 33 | North Dakota profile | $30.41 | $63,260 | $47,770 | $98,200 | 670 | 1.56 | 0.53 |
| 34 | South Carolina profile | $30.32 | $63,070 | $38,790 | $116,210 | 6,960 | 3.02 | 1.03 |
| 35 | New Mexico profile | $30.24 | $62,900 | $37,870 | $111,990 | 2,190 | 2.52 | 0.85 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $30.23 | $62,880 | $35,970 | $99,750 | 900 | 1.75 | 0.59 |
| 37 | Texas profile | $30.22 | $62,860 | $33,250 | $113,870 | 46,630 | 3.31 | 1.12 |
| 38 | Tennessee profile | $29.94 | $62,280 | $38,000 | $116,280 | 9,370 | 2.86 | 0.97 |
| 39 | Kansas profile | $29.81 | $62,010 | $41,640 | $107,900 | 5,150 | 3.58 | 1.22 |
| 40 | Idaho profile | $29.67 | $61,720 | $30,720 | $102,600 | 2,430 | 2.84 | 0.96 |
| 41 | South Dakota profile | $29.60 | $61,570 | $44,200 | $86,200 | 520 | 1.14 | 0.39 |
| 42 | Kentucky profile | $29.52 | $61,390 | $38,700 | $103,690 | 6,090 | 3.05 | 1.03 |
| 43 | Nevada profile | $29.50 | $61,350 | $40,510 | $102,610 | 3,440 | 2.22 | 0.75 |
| 44 | Indiana profile | $29.35 | $61,050 | $39,060 | $101,520 | 8,450 | 2.64 | 0.90 |
| 45 | Oklahoma profile | $29.35 | $61,040 | $31,550 | $104,120 | 5,440 | 3.19 | 1.08 |
| 46 | Hawaii profile | $29.31 | $60,960 | $33,470 | $134,220 | 1,200 | 1.90 | 0.65 |
| 47 | Utah profile | $29.28 | $60,900 | $38,000 | $107,390 | 6,140 | 3.54 | 1.20 |
| 48 | Missouri profile | $28.21 | $58,670 | $31,720 | $100,670 | ** | ** | ** |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $27.92 | $58,070 | $39,240 | $105,200 | 3,030 | 1.57 | 0.53 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $25.81 | $53,680 | $38,110 | $96,400 | 2,820 | 2.43 | 0.82 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $25.14 | $52,290 | $29,490 | $96,950 | 3,880 | 2.98 | 1.01 |
Part of Business and Financial Operations Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 13-1151 Training and Development Specialists.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 13-1151, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 13-1151.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.