Training and Development Specialists Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of training and development specialists to grow 10.8% from 2025 to 2035 (about 51,100 more jobs), with about 46,000 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $69,280 a year ranks 321st of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +10.8%
- Openings a year
- 46,000
- Median pay
- $69,280
- Pay rank
- 321st of 825
Is employment of training and development specialists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of training and development specialists to rise 10.8% (about 51,100 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +5.5% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 32 business and financial operations occupations with a projection. That change ranks 54th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 472,500 |
| Employment, 2035 | 523,700 |
| Projected change | +10.8% |
| Openings a year | 46,000 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 472,500 jobs here differ from the 458,300 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 46,000 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 88th most of 830 occupations. About 89% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 5,110 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for training and development specialists rank?
The median of $69,280 a year ranks 321st of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
- Work experience in a related occupation: less than 5 years.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Analysts | +10.1% | 94,100 | $101,860 |
| Human Resources Specialists | +6.4% | 73,700 | $75,940 |
| Project Management Specialists | +6.7% | 76,500 | $102,320 |
| Training and Development Managers | +6.4% | 4,100 | $133,000 |
| Instructional Coordinators | +1.6% | 23,100 | $77,440 |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | +6.5% | 300 | $193,950 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | +2.9% | 27,800 | $64,330 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | -0.3% | 8,000 | $63,820 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.