Training Specialist job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$69,280

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Training and Development Specialists (O*NET-SOC 13-1151.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Present information with a variety of instructional techniques or formats, such as role playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, or lectures. importance 4.7 of 5
2. Obtain, organize, or develop training procedure manuals, guides, or course materials, such as handouts or visual materials. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Evaluate modes of training delivery, such as in-person or virtual, to optimize training effectiveness, training costs, or environmental impacts. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Offer specific training programs to help workers maintain or improve job skills. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with employees, focus groups, or consultation with managers, instructors, or customer representatives. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Monitor, evaluate, or record training activities or program effectiveness. importance 4.4 of 5
7. Design, plan, organize, or direct orientation and training programs for employees or customers. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Develop alternative training methods if expected improvements are not seen. importance 4.1 of 5
9. Evaluate training materials prepared by instructors, such as outlines, text, or handouts. importance 4.0 of 5
10. Monitor training costs and prepare budget reports to justify expenditures. importance 3.8 of 5
11. Devise programs to develop executive potential among employees in lower-level positions. importance 3.8 of 5
12. Keep up with developments in area of expertise by reading current journals, books, or magazine articles. importance 3.7 of 5
13. Attend meetings or seminars to obtain information for use in training programs or to inform management of training program status. importance 3.7 of 5
14. Coordinate recruitment and placement of training program participants. importance 3.6 of 5
15. Select and assign instructors to conduct training. importance 3.5 of 5
16. Negotiate contracts with clients for desired training outcomes, fees, or expenses. importance 3.5 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Training and Teaching Others, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge and Coaching and Developing Others.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Refer trainees to employer relations representatives, to locations offering job placement assistance, or to appropriate social services agencies, if warranted.
• Develop or implement training programs related to efficiency, recycling, or other issues with environmental impacts.

Knowledge areas: Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Personnel and Human Resources and Administration and Management.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Learning management system LMS, Adobe After Effects. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists less than 5 years of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (78%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Training Specialist
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Training Specialist to design or conduct work-related training and development programs to improve individual skills or organizational performance.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Present information with a variety of instructional techniques or formats, such as role playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, or lectures.
- Obtain, organize, or develop training procedure manuals, guides, or course materials, such as handouts or visual materials.
- Evaluate modes of training delivery, such as in-person or virtual, to optimize training effectiveness, training costs, or environmental impacts.
- Offer specific training programs to help workers maintain or improve job skills.
- Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with employees, focus groups, or consultation with managers, instructors, or customer representatives.
- Monitor, evaluate, or record training activities or program effectiveness.
- Design, plan, organize, or direct orientation and training programs for employees or customers.
- Develop alternative training methods if expected improvements are not seen.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists less than 5 years in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in instructing, speaking and learning strategies
- Working knowledge of Education and Training and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $69,280 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $33.31. BLS estimates about 458,300 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Training and Development Specialists to grow 10.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 46,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real training specialist posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Present information with a variety of instructional techniques or…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only training specialist work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (instructing and speaking); training specialist interview questions turns them into practice questions.