Career Development Coach Salary in the United States

How much does a Career Development Coach make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Career Development Coach in the United States is $100,064 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $48.

However, a Career Development Coach's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $113,980
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $86,817 to $107,348
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $74,757

Key Factors That Influence Career Development Coach Salaries

A Career Development Coach's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Career Development Coach Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Career Development Coach's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $61,493
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $73,291
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $100,984
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $123,814
  • Expert (over 8 years): $144,632
Levels Salary
Organizat... Level Career Development Coach$61,493
Organizat... Level Career Development Coach$73,291
Career De... Level Career Development Coach$100,984
Organizat... Level Career Development Coach$123,814
Organizat... Level Career Development Coach$144,632

How Do Career Development Coach Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Career Development Coaches. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $110,791.
  • California: $110,371.
  • Massachusetts: $108,900.

Top Paying Cities for Career Development Coaches

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $126,211
  • San Francisco: $124,829
  • Oakland: $122,198

What Skills Can Increase a Career Development Coach's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 6.34% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Change Management (Mentioned in 1.37% Job Postings): Change management (sometimes abbreviated as CM) is a collective term for all approaches to prepare , support and help individuals, teams, and organizations in making organizational change. The most common change drivers include: technological evolution, process reviews, crisis, and consumer habit changes; pressure from new business entrants, acquisitions, mergers, and organizational restructuring. It includes methods that redirect or redefine the use of resources, business process, budget allocations, or other modes of operation that significantly change a company or organization. Organizational change management (OCM) considers the full organization and what needs to change, while change management may be used solely to refer to how people and teams are affected by such organizational transition. It deals with many different disciplines, from behavioral and social sciences to information technology and business solutions.
  • PowerPoint (Mentioned in 1.25% Job Postings): A computer software created by Microsoft which allows the user to create slides with recordings, narrations, transitions and other features in order to present information.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 6.34%
Change Management 1.37%
PowerPoint 1.25%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Career Development Coach's salary.

  • Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Alignment: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Consulting Management: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Consulting $108,069
8%
Alignment $108,069
8%
Consulting Management $107,068
7%

Career Development Coach Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Career Development Coach roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Business Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Career Development Coach positions in Biotechnology or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Career Development Coach as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Career Development Coach

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$150,096$72.050%

How Education impacts a Career Development Coach's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Career Development Coaches enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Career Development Coach with a Bachelor's Degree is between $97,079 and $103,487).

Career Development Coach Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Career Development Coach
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.2%
High School 1.8%
Associates 1.4%
Bachelors 23.9%
Masters 61.0%
Doctorate 11.7%

Career Development Coach Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Career Development Coach's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$86,817
Average $100,064/year
$107,348
$7,235
Average $8,339/month
$8,946
$1,670
Average $1,924/week
$2,064
$42
Average $48/hour
$52
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $107,348 $8,946 $2,064 $52
Average $100,064 $8,339 $1,924 $48
25th Percentile $86,817 $7,235 $1,670 $42

Most common benefits for Career Development Coach

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Career Development Coach

Here are companies hiring for Career Development Coach and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Career Development Coach

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Career Development Coach?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Career Development Coach roles, with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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