Professional Development Consultant Salary in the United States

How much does a Professional Development Consultant make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Professional Development Consultant in the United States is $81,632 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $97,545
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $75,060 to $89,962
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $69,077
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View as table View as graph 25% $75,060 10% $69,077 90% $97,545 75% $89,962 $81,632 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Professional Development Consultant Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $89,962 $7,497 $1,730 $43
Average $81,632 $6,803 $1,570 $39
25th Percentile $75,060 $6,255 $1,443 $36
Check out Professional Development Consultant Job Openings in the United States
Nursing Professional Development Specialist

Akron Children's Hospital - Akron, OH

Nursing Professional Development Specialist

Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Nursing Professional Development Practitioner

Ohio State University - Columbus, OH

Nursing Professional Development Specialist

Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Professional Development Consultant Salaries

A Professional Development Consultant'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 Professional Development Consultant Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Professional Development Consultant'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): $82,088
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $96,449
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $113,407
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $140,938
  • Expert (over 8 years): $167,513
Levels Salary
Professio... Level Professional Development Consultant$82,088
Sales Eng... Level Professional Development Consultant$96,449
Sales Eng... Level Professional Development Consultant$113,407
Sales Eng... Level Professional Development Consultant$140,938
Sales Eng... Level Professional Development Consultant$167,513
$82,088 0 yr
$96,449 < 2 yrs
$113,407 2-4 yrs
$140,938 5-8 yrs
$167,513 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Professional Development Consultant 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 Professional Development Consultants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $90,383.
  • California: $90,040.
  • Massachusetts: $88,840.

Top Paying Cities for Professional Development Consultants

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: $102,962
  • San Francisco: $101,835
  • Oakland: $99,689

What Skills Can Increase a Professional Development Consultant's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Presentation (Mentioned in 8.64% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
  • Use Cases (Mentioned in 2.15% Job Postings): A use case is a written description of how users will perform tasks on your website. It is a methodology used in system analysis to identify, clarify and organize system requirements.
  • CRM (Mentioned in 1.58% Job Postings): Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology for managing all your company's relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Presentation 8.64%
Use Cases 2.15%
CRM 1.58%
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 Professional Development Consultant's salary.
  • Onboarding: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
  • Python: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Open Source: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Onboarding
 $91,428
12%
Python
 $90,611
11%
Open Source
 $89,795
10%
Use Cases
 $88,979
9%
SQL
 $87,346
7%
Risk Management
 $87,346
7%
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Professional Development Consultant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Professional Development Consultant roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 84% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Professional Development Consultant positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Professional Development Consultant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Professional Development Consultant

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$102,040$49.025%
Financial Services$97,958$47.020%
Pharmaceuticals$96,325$46.018%
Energy & Utilities$93,876$45.015%
Biotechnology$91,428$44.012%

How Education impacts a Professional Development Consultant's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Professional Development Consultants 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 Professional Development Consultant with a Bachelor's Degree is between $75,820 and $80,288).

Professional Development Consultant Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Professional Development Consultant
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 7.4%
High School 7.4%
Associates 5.9%
Bachelors 66.6%
Masters 19.3%
Doctorate 0.6%
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Professional Development Consultant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Professional Development Consultant'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.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$75,060
Average $81,632/year
$89,962
$6,255
Average $6,803/month
$7,497
$1,443
Average $1,570/week
$1,730
$36
Average $39/hour
$43
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $89,962 $7,497 $1,730 $43
Average $81,632 $6,803 $1,570 $39
25th Percentile $75,060 $6,255 $1,443 $36

Salaries of jobs related to Professional Development Consultant

Salary Trends for Professional Development Consultant

Salaries for a Professional Development Consultant can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $64,508 in 2023 to around $64,118 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Professional Development Consultant salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Professional Development Consultant Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$64,508
2024
$64,868
2025
$64,118
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $64,508
2024 $64,868
2025 $64,118
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Professional Development Consultant

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Professional Development Consultant

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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.)

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