Quick answer: Rhode Island employs about 1,130 training and development specialists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through your state education agency for any classroom route. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare education and training programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in Rhode Island
Corporate training is not licensed and is hired on demonstrated practice, with the CPTD and APTD from ATD as the recognized credentials. School teaching is different: secondary licensure runs through a state education agency, and those routes differ substantially between states, including how much industry experience substitutes for coursework.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state education agency for any classroom route that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 4 schools
within 11 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
4 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Training and Development Specialists Earn in Rhode Island
Training and Development Specialists in Rhode Island earn a median $75,910 per year, above the national median of $69,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Education and Training Pay and Employment in Rhode Island at a Glance
Metric
Rhode Island
National
Source
Median annual wage
$75,910
$69,280
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$46,420
$38,760
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$58,110
$50,110
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$108,930
$95,050
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$151,560
$123,250
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
1,130
458,300
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.77
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
10.8%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Rhode Island Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Rhode Island median of $75,910 sits above the national median of $69,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.77 puts Rhode Island below the national average, so the occupation is less concentrated here than in the typical state. Expect a thinner local job market and fewer employers to move between (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Training roles sit inside large employers and school systems, so the local mix of both is what creates them.
Training and Development Specialists Wages by Metro Area in Rhode Island
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), training and development specialists wages in Rhode Island vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Providence-Warwick
1,590
$72,550
$82,690
$43,750
$137,470
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do training and development specialists make in Rhode Island?
The median annual wage for training and development specialists in Rhode Island is $75,910, above the national median of $69,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $58,110 at the 25th percentile to $108,930 at the 75th.
How many training and development specialists work in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island holds about 1,130 training and development specialist jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 458,300, and BLS projects about 43,900 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a training and development specialist in Rhode Island?
Corporate training is not licensed and is hired on demonstrated practice, with the CPTD and APTD from ATD as the recognized credentials. School teaching is different: secondary licensure runs through a state education agency, and those routes differ substantially between states, including how much industry experience substitutes for coursework. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state education agency for any classroom route before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn an education or training degree online while working in Rhode Island?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state education agency for any classroom route.
What is the highest-paying area of Rhode Island for training and development specialists?
Among Rhode Island metro areas with published data, Providence reports the highest median at $72,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Rhode Island a good state for training and development specialists?
On pay, the state median of $75,910 sits above the national $69,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.77 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Training and Development Specialists (SOC 13-1151), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
