Career comparison
Human Resources Manager vs. Training and Development Manager
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Human resources managers earn more at the median ($149,280 vs. $133,000), while human resources managers usually get to work faster (5+ years of HR experience of training). Human resources managers lead hiring, employee relations and people programs for an organization. Training and development managers plan and lead training that helps employees grow.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Human Resources Manager | Training and Development Manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $149,280 ($71.77/hr) | $133,000 ($63.94/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $88,200 – $267,810 | $79,550 – $233,600 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +5.5% (faster than average) | +6.4% (faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 16,800 | 4,100 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 5+ years of HR experience | 5+ years of experience |
| Key credential | SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP | CPTD |
| Work setting | HR managers work in offices in every industry.. | Managers work in offices and training rooms, and sometimes travel to sites.. |
What each job does
Human Resources Manager
- Lead HR staff
- Oversee recruiting and hiring
- Handle employee relations
- Manage performance programs
- Write and enforce policies
Training and Development Manager
- Assess training needs
- Design training programs
- Lead trainers
- Manage training budgets
- Run leadership development
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people, high-pay, helping others, and in-demand. Both are part of the business & office field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose human resources manager if…
- I like helping people at work
- I keep things confidential
- I stay fair in conflict
Choose training and development manager if…
- I like teaching adults
- I enjoy designing programs
- I want to help people grow
Still torn? Take the Human Resources Manager fit quiz and the Training and Development Manager fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, human resources manager or training and development manager?
Human Resources Managers earn more at the median: $149,280 versus $133,000 for training and development managers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Human Resources Managers typically train faster (5+ years of HR experience) than training and development managers (5+ years of experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects training and development managers to grow +6.4% from 2025–35, compared with +5.5% for human resources managers.