Training and Development Specialists
Also called: Corporate Trainer, Job Training Specialist, Learning and Development Specialist (L and D Specialist), Training SpecialistDesign or conduct work-related training and development programs to improve individual skills or organizational performance. May analyze organizational training needs or evaluate training effectiveness.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 15 of its 20 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 10.8% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 24% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,490 | $47,300 to $83,600 | 3,000 |
| Alaska | $81,860 | $61,580 to $105,280 | 530 |
| Arizona | $67,140 | $51,990 to $94,450 | not published |
| Arkansas | $52,290 | $38,320 to $70,630 | 3,880 |
| California | $75,790 | $51,360 to $105,440 | 46,530 |
| Colorado | $75,790 | $50,770 to $98,480 | 12,100 |
| Connecticut | $78,080 | $52,840 to $105,740 | 3,650 |
| Delaware | $88,570 | $64,080 to $108,850 | 1,590 |
| District of Columbia | $80,980 | $47,890 to $111,720 | 1,900 |
| Florida | $71,990 | $49,810 to $93,410 | 34,130 |
| Georgia | $67,320 | $50,260 to $88,100 | 16,200 |
| Guam | $42,950 | $28,480 to $49,390 | 50 |
| Hawaii | $60,960 | $41,600 to $93,290 | 1,200 |
| Idaho | $61,720 | $45,940 to $80,010 | 2,430 |
| Illinois | $67,380 | $48,920 to $95,120 | 15,140 |
| Indiana | $61,050 | $48,490 to $80,120 | 8,450 |
| Iowa | $66,110 | $50,240 to $84,240 | 4,670 |
| Kansas | $62,010 | $48,640 to $80,630 | 5,150 |
| Kentucky | $61,390 | $47,500 to $77,680 | 6,090 |
| Louisiana | $58,070 | $48,000 to $77,160 | 3,030 |
| Maine | $65,680 | $52,320 to $89,130 | 1,600 |
| Maryland | $76,370 | $46,800 to $101,800 | 9,800 |
| Massachusetts | $80,270 | $55,990 to $114,970 | 12,190 |
| Michigan | $64,350 | $49,540 to $84,750 | 10,640 |
| Minnesota | $76,710 | $62,160 to $99,710 | 9,650 |
| Mississippi | $53,680 | $45,600 to $71,980 | 2,820 |
| Missouri | $58,670 | $38,730 to $76,960 | not published |
| Montana | $62,880 | $49,580 to $81,740 | 900 |
| Nebraska | $65,700 | $53,350 to $83,190 | 3,650 |
| Nevada | $61,350 | $47,760 to $80,850 | 3,440 |
| New Hampshire | $86,050 | $64,790 to $86,050 | not published |
| New Jersey | $77,020 | $49,500 to $102,080 | 9,210 |
| New Mexico | $62,900 | $49,230 to $80,280 | 2,190 |
| New York | $76,080 | $56,320 to $102,640 | 27,460 |
| North Carolina | $65,250 | $47,470 to $90,400 | 20,220 |
| North Dakota | $63,260 | $52,810 to $82,890 | 670 |
| Ohio | $64,780 | $45,960 to $86,550 | 17,690 |
| Oklahoma | $61,040 | $43,950 to $83,360 | 5,440 |
| Oregon | $76,360 | $60,470 to $99,670 | 5,190 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,350 | $55,170 to $96,160 | 14,780 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,820 | $34,640 to $59,710 | not published |
| Rhode Island | $75,910 | $58,110 to $108,930 | 1,130 |
| South Carolina | $63,070 | $47,220 to $85,710 | 6,960 |
| South Dakota | $61,570 | $52,350 to $77,340 | 520 |
| Tennessee | $62,280 | $48,550 to $84,190 | 9,370 |
| Texas | $62,860 | $46,610 to $85,470 | 46,630 |
| Utah | $60,900 | $49,170 to $83,260 | 6,140 |
| Vermont | $77,800 | $58,700 to $106,090 | 750 |
| Virgin Islands | $50,430 | $40,930 to $75,190 | 40 |
| Virginia | $77,690 | $57,530 to $101,030 | 15,570 |
| Washington | $81,860 | $62,400 to $108,830 | 8,130 |
| West Virginia | $64,960 | $50,190 to $82,060 | 1,710 |
| Wisconsin | $70,770 | $57,020 to $83,800 | 9,360 |
| Wyoming | $69,380 | $51,540 to $101,990 | 550 |
Nationally: $69,280. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 15 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Present information with a variety of instructional techniques or formats, such as role playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, or lectures. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Obtain, organize, or develop training procedure manuals, guides, or course materials, such as handouts or visual materials. | 0.11% |
| Not much | Evaluate modes of training delivery, such as in-person or virtual, to optimize training effectiveness, training costs, or environmental impacts. | Not published |
| AI alone | Design, plan, organize, or direct orientation and training programs for employees or customers. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with employees, focus groups, or consultation with managers, instructors, or customer representatives. | Not published |
| AI alone | Offer specific training programs to help workers maintain or improve job skills. | under 0.01% |
See all 20 tasks
| AI + software | Monitor, evaluate, or record training activities or program effectiveness. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Develop alternative training methods if expected improvements are not seen. | Not published |
| AI + software | Keep up with developments in area of expertise by reading current journals, books, or magazine articles. | Not published |
| AI + software | Attend meetings or seminars to obtain information for use in training programs or to inform management of training program status. | Not published |
| AI alone | Evaluate training materials prepared by instructors, such as outlines, text, or handouts. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Coordinate recruitment and placement of training program participants. | Not published |
| AI alone | Devise programs to develop executive potential among employees in lower-level positions. | Not published |
| AI alone | Select and assign instructors to conduct training. | Not published |
| AI + software | Negotiate contracts with clients for desired training outcomes, fees, or expenses. | Not published |
| AI + software | Supervise, evaluate, or refer instructors to skill development classes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Monitor training costs and prepare budget reports to justify expenditures. | Not published |
| Not much | Schedule classes based on availability of classrooms, equipment, or instructors. | Not published |
| Not much | Develop or implement training programs related to efficiency, recycling, or other issues with environmental impacts. | Not published |
| AI + software | Refer trainees to employer relations representatives, to locations offering job placement assistance, or to appropriate social services agencies, if warranted. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 6 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 11 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manage human resources activities | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Evaluate programs, practices, or processes | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Research organizational behavior, processes, or performance | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Monitor financial data or activities |
Show all 11 activities
| Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets | |||
| Negotiate contracts or agreements | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report48%
- Teaching material15%
- A presentation or slides10%
- A plan or strategy4%
- Data or a spreadsheet3%
How they worked with Claude
76% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for training and development specialists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 257,927 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 4 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 3%
- 5 Sales Managers High +4.5% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 257,240 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
- 3 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 3%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 3%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 9% high school
- 4% some college
- 9% associate's
- 78% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 13% high school
- 22% some college
- 10% associate's
- 32% bachelor's
- 17% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 2% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,943 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
7 programs, such as Organizational Communication, General, Educational/Instructional Technology and Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching.
See all
- Organizational Communication, General
- Educational/Instructional Technology
- Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
- Human Resources Development
- Executive/Career Coaching
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
31.8% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 10.6% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 7.0% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 9 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Training and Development Specialists” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/13-1151.00