Training and development managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate the training and development activities and staff of an organization.
Training and development managers plan, direct, or coordinate the training and development activities and staff of an organization. The role reports a median annual salary of $127,090 in the US and is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.57 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include labour legislation, business management principles, business intelligence, assessment processes, adult education.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £57,529 a year for Human resource managers and directors (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £43,676 to £78,677 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 1136). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Managers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Training and development managers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 1. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
1 open listing on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Customer and Personal Service
- Communications and Media
- Psychology
- Computers and Electronics
A day in the life
You start the morning reviewing feedback from last week's leadership workshop, noting which sessions landed and which trainers need support. Next you meet department heads to discuss upcoming changes in their work and the new skills their teams will need. Mid-morning you plan a fresh course based on those needs, choosing a mix of classroom sessions, online modules and on-the-job coaching. After lunch you run the orientation for a group of new joiners, welcoming them and explaining how things work. In the afternoon you observe an instructor delivering a session and give them constructive feedback. You finish by working on next year's training budget and updating a manual. Chasing attendance records and completion reports can be dull. But watching a nervous new hire grow into a confident team member because of the programme you built is truly rewarding.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Analyze training needs to develop new training programs or modify and improve existing programs.
- Evaluate instructor performance and the effectiveness of training programs, providing recommendations for improvement.
- Plan, develop, and provide training and staff development programs, using knowledge of the effectiveness of methods such as classroom training, demonstrations, on-the-job training, meetings, conferences, and workshops.
- Confer with management and conduct surveys to identify training needs based on projected production processes, changes, and other factors.
- Conduct orientation sessions and arrange on-the-job training for new hires.
- Train instructors and supervisors in techniques and skills for training and dealing with employees.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Training and development managers do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate the training and development activities and staff of an organization.
What does a typical day look like in Training and development managers?
You start the morning reviewing feedback from last week's leadership workshop, noting which sessions landed and which trainers need support. Next you meet department heads to discuss upcoming changes in their work and the new skills their teams will need. Mid-morning you plan a fresh course based on those needs, choosing a mix of classroom sessions, online modules and on-the-job coaching.
How much does Training and development managers earn?
The median annual salary for Training and development managers in the US is $127,090.
What is the job outlook for Training and development managers?
The role is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 46,400 workers.
How do I become training and development managers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Training and development managers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include labour legislation, business management principles, business intelligence, assessment processes, adult education, project management. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Training and development managers?
Our AI-durability model gives Training and development managers a score of 0.57 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Training and development managers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.