Editor's note: We've corrected an error that said pay for talent development specialists has increased by $10,000. Statistically, that was not accurate. We apologize for this error.
Dive Brief:
- The Association for Talent Development (ATD) has released their 2017 Talent Development Compensation, Benefits, and Job Seeker Report, which shows a gain in median annual salary for talent development specialists over last year's figures.
- The average salary for a talent development specialist was between $80,000 - $89,999, up from $70,000 - $79,000 in 2015. More talent development professionals are earning six figures or above.
- The ATD survey also revealed that 70% of talent development professionals are women, and that one in four have at least a four-year college degree or above.
Dive Insight:
The ATD report is important because it focuses specifically on talent development professionals, who shape their organizations through courseware design and development. These leaders of learning and design are responsible for helping employees at all levels earn the skills they need to succeed at the company, as well as ensure the company has employees who are skilled at the right levels.
Learning and development has become even more important in the past year thanks to intense skill shortages in a variety of industries. Benefits and salaries have increased to accommodate this new reality, but employers still may be able to do better.
While only 13% of the some 1200 talent development professionals polled were actively looking for jobs, 65% of those employed were open to new opportunities. Employers may want to ensure they're providing career opportunities and pathways to leadership within these roles in order to retain top L&D employees.
