What Is a Learning and Development Specialist and How to Become One

A learning and development specialist is essential to an organization's human resources team. They spend their days designing and implementing new training plans for that organization's employees to learn new skills, improve upon the ones they already have, and gain more knowledge. 

Learning and development specialists may have different titles, like training and development specialist, corporate trainer, or training specialist. Still, they aim to help an organization's staff improve their skills and performance. 

Discover more about this exciting career choice, including a learning and development specialist's responsibilities, how you can get this type of job, how much you might make, and what the job outlook is for the near future below. 

What is a learning and development specialist?

A learning and development specialist plans, organizes, and implements training programs for staff. Their ultimate goal is to provide employees with the training needed to support their development and help them keep pace with the skills and foundational knowledge necessary to maximize productivity. The job may involve broadly examining the organization's needs and creating a training plan that helps fulfill them. 

Ultimately, if you want to work in this field, you must be a people person because you will spend your days interacting with colleagues at all stages of a training program. You might collaborate with a team of colleagues to create the program, present the program to stakeholders for approval, and finally, present the training program to employees as a lecture, team-building exercise, instruction manual, video, or other medium.  

Read more: What Is Corporate Training? Your 2024 Guide

Responsibilities of a learning and development specialist

The day-to-day tasks you’ll face will vary from organization to organization. Some general duties you may have in this role include:  

• Consult with management and employees to determine an organization's training needs.

• Create manuals and other materials for employees to use for learning and training.

• Review and implement training materials and equipment from third parties.

• Present potential training programs to managers and other stakeholders for approval

• Deliver training programs through lectures, videos, exercises, and other mediums.

• Monitor and test the success of training programs and make adjustments as needed.

• Create standards and materials for training programs. 

• Keep up with industry trends in training and development and integrate them as appropriate.  

• Handle the administrative duties associated with the training program, like scheduling, budgeting, and enrolling employees.

Requirements to become a learning and development specialist

Requirements to become a learning and development specialist will vary from organization to organization. Some people transition from other types of careers, particularly people in the education field, but you typically need a bachelor's degree. You will also need to develop specific human skills. 

Education requirements

Many learning and development specialists have a bachelor's degree, but some companies hire candidates with a background in developing and implementing education or training. When earning a bachelor's degree, you may choose a major like human resources, business, or training and development. Some learning and development specialists also have education, psychology, or communication degrees. 

You might also consider adding some related certifications to your resume. Although each employer may have unique requirements regarding the certifications they look for, some standard options include:

• Certified Professional in Training Development (CPTD)

• Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) Certified Professional

• Certified Professional in Training Management

Skills required for learning and development 

Communication skills are critical for learning and development specialists. After all, your ultimate job is communicating information to the employees of an organization so that it's clear and helpful. One day, you find yourself writing a manual to accompany training programs or specific processes you’re integrating into the workplace. Next, you could be giving a presentation to employees. Other human skills you need for this job include:

• Analytical skills for deciding what the best programs are for your organization

• Collaboration and teamwork skills 

• Creativity for creating programs employees will enjoy 

• Teaching skills 

• Leadership  

• Project management skills for executing all phases of training programs

How much does a learning and development specialist make?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for this role is $64,340 [1]. Factors like industry and years of previous experience may impact how much you make.

Factors that affect learning and development specialist salary 

The more experience you have in learning and development, the more you might make as a specialist. To get a breakdown by years of experience, we consulted Glassdoor’s June 2024 data. The average base salary for those new to the job is $65,489, while those with five years of experience make an average of $73,961. If you have 15 or more years of experience, you could make $96,897 on average [2]. 

Additionally, the industry in which you work can affect your earnings. Take a look at the average entry-level salaries for learning and development specialists with less than one year of experience in standard fields [2]: 

• Law: $63,356

• Agriculture: $63,112

• Personal consumer services: $63,573

• Education: $68,148

• Financial services: $68,227 

• Health care: $67,406

• Information technology: $70,317

• Manufacturing: $62,122

• Retail: $56,073

*All base salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of June 2024 and does not include additional pay, such as commission and benefits.  

Learning and development specialist career path 

Once you have experience as a learning and development specialist, you may advance your career. Some people go on to become learning and development managers. Others may become human resources managers, which encompasses learning and development. Another option is to enter education, working as a teacher or career counselor in a high school, college, university, or technical school.

Job outlook 

According to the BLS, the need for learning and development specialists will grow 6 percent through 2032 [3]. That's faster than average compared to other fields. One reason for this is organizations’ growing implementation of new technology, requiring employees to train and learn new skills associated with new tech. Another reason is the importance of continuing education throughout your career to keep up with trends, which creates a demand for leadership and development specialists. 

Next steps 

Learning and development specialists implement and improve organizations’ training plans. In this role, you'll need strong human skills, such as communication, collaboration, and leadership. 

While you help employees learn on the job, continuing your education, staying updated with trends, and continuously developing your skill set is essential. Taking online courses may help. On Coursera, you'll find courses offered by some of the top institutions in the world. For example, you might consider options like Training and Learning Online from the University of Leeds, Storytelling and Influencing: Communicate with Impact offered by Macquarie University, or the Imperial College of London’s Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success.