What is the salary and career path for a learning and development manager?
Learning and development managers are reported under Training and Development Managers (SOC 11-3131), the closest BLS management code for someone owning the L&D function. Its OEWS May 2025 median is $133,000 a year ($63.94 an hour), ranging from $79,550 at the 10th percentile to $233,600 at the 90th at large employers. BLS projects this manager code up about 5.8% over 2024–2034, faster than average, with roughly 3,800 openings a year. A bachelor's degree plus years of training and instructional-design experience is the norm, and credentials such as ATD's CPTD or SHRM-SCP are common at this level.
- Learning and Development Managers earn a national median $133,000/yr ($63.94/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3131); the top 10% clear $233,600.
- The role is reported under Training and Development Managers (11-3131) and is a step up from a training-specialist career.
- BLS projects the manager code up about 5.8% through 2034, faster than average, with around 3,800 openings a year.
- Pay runs from a senior training specialist near $79,550 to a chief learning officer at the $233,600 top decile, with CPTD or SHRM-SCP common levers.
Career Path
How do you become a learning and development manager?
Senior training specialist / L&D lead
Moving up from designing and delivering programs, a lead entering management sits near the $79,550 10th percentile.
Learning and Development Manager
Owning L&D strategy, budget and a training team earns around the $133,000 training-managers median.
Senior L&D manager / director of learning
Running learning across a large organization lifts pay toward the $176,870 75th percentile.
VP of learning / chief learning officer
Leading enterprise capability strategy reaches the $233,600 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays learning and development managers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3131. National median: $133,000. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does learning and development manager pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles learning and development managers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: learning and development managers rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +5.8% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly learning and development managers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3131 (learning and development managers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do learning and development managers need?
The typical foundation; a master's in adult learning or OD helps at senior levels. See all state licences →
ATD's flagship credential validating talent-development and learning-strategy expertise.
SHRM's senior credential for strategic people-development leadership.
ATD's earlier-career credential for building L&D fundamentals before management.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do learning and development managers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 11-3131
Salary Levers
How do learning and development managers earn above the $133,000 BLS median?
Move from specialist to manager
Stepping into owning the L&D function lifts pay off the $79,550 band toward the median.
Own budget and learning strategy
Directing enterprise learning strategy and spend lifts pay toward the $176,870 upper band.
Reach VP or chief learning officer
Leading capability strategy for a large enterprise reaches the $233,600 top decile.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a learning and development manager worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3131. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Learning and Development Manager Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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