Training salaries jumped nearly 10 percent in 2023-2024 to an average of $101,253, according to Training’s annual Salary Survey of 938 Learning and Development (L&D) professionals, which ran from late March to June 2024.
The average increase in salary in the last 12 months (not including a promotion or change of employer) was 3.4 percent, just a hair less than in 2022-2023. The majority (67 percent) of respondents typically work between 40 and 44 hours per week. Some 39 percent of respondents said their salary was low relative to their responsibilities, while 49 percent said it was equitable (vs. 39 and 46 percent, respectively, the prior year). Some 11 percent believe they are well paid relative to their responsibilities (the same as last year). Fifty percent of respondents said they received a bonus in 2023, and 56 percent are eligible for one this year. The average cash bonus was $9,752, down from $11,245 the year before.
Organizations also offered a variety of non-cash benefits, the most popular being 401(k) and/or 403(b) plans (71 percent) or other retirement plans (35 percent); flexible work times/telecommuting (63 percent); education reimbursement (43 percent); additional paid days off (34 percent); car/parking/transit incentives (13 percent); merchandise incentives (8 percent); and stock options, stock, or equity (10 percent).
Other creative options included:
Fun, Food, and Wellness
- Paid days for company fun activities
- Free beverages and lunch
- Well-being and fitness benefits or annual stipend
Time Off and Flexibility
- Paid four-week sabbatical
- Additional time off for executives
- Paid time off for community service
Financial and Lifestyle Support
- Options for deferred compensation
- Profit sharing and gainsharing:
- $500 per year lifestyle spending allowance
- Club membership dues paid up to $1,000
- Gift cards and contest prizes
- Spark points that can be converted to cash or used for purchases
Stipends
- Stipends for home Internet, phone expenses, work-from-home furniture, and IT equipment
- Stipend for childcare expenses
FEWER DOLLARS
Some 36 percent of respondents said their organizations cut budgets in the last 12 months, 5 percent more than in 2022-2023. But only 1 percent of respondents said employers asked them to take a pay cut in 2023-2024, 1 percent less than the previous year. Some 6 percent froze salaries vs. 8 percent in 2022-2023. And 7 percent eliminated bonuses vs. 6 percent the prior year.
CHALLENGES AND CAREER CHOICES
The cost to implement training topped the list of respondents’ training challenges (37 percent), followed by corporate culture (30 percent), lack of time (28 percent), bandwidth capacity (27 percent), organizational politics (25 percent), and difficulty measuring ROI (24 percent). Other challenges related to accessibility, engagement, and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI).
Despite these challenges, 73 percent of Training professionals said they wouldn’t choose another career if they could do it all over again (the same as last year). For those who would have pursued other careers, popular answers included: accountant, attorney, doctor, engineer, nurse, programmer, real estate agent, and writer.
