eLearning specialists work for universities and companies overseeing online education systems. For example, they might customize eLearning software for a university's online correspondence courses or tools for teachers to provide additional instruction outside of class. Some industries need to educate their employees about changes in the company or field from time to time and an eLearning specialist can help them provide this instruction easily online.

Education

eLearning specialists need experience in both computer design and management software as well as education techniques. A specialist evaluates and maintains or re-designs learning management systems, making them accessible, flexible and straightforward for users. This role does not often include creating software, but the specialist will customize and author lessons using existing learning management software such as Adobe's eLearning solutions or Articulate. eLearning specialists commonly start their career by receiving a bachelor's degree in either education or software management.

Skills

An eLearning specialist needs experience in customizing software and should know how to recognize potential trouble spots that might make a program difficult for a novice, a specialty called instructional design. A successful eLearning specialist has dual skills in software management and education techniques. The specialist needs to understand how to engage students on the Internet by providing eLearning modules which are relevant to the potential students' age and skill level, for example, by providing learning games for elementary students.

Duties

The day-to-day work of an eLearning specialist requires understanding the learning results desired and turning this information into engaging online content with a user-friendly interface. The specialist meets with teachers and professionals to discuss the learning formats and testing that should be built into a program. eLearning specialists may also seek out textbook publishers to get permission to link any online content that they provide.

Salary and Outlook

The online learning field is growing with some of the most exciting developments being in real-time collaboration between students or student and teacher. For younger students, interactive educational games are entering the classroom, creating more opportunities for an eLearning specialist. The field is expected to grow about by 11 percent through 2030, or about 5 percent more than the average for all jobs in the U.S. The median annual salary for training and development managers was $115,640 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. People with specialty customization and programming skills who are employed by large corporations can expect to be in the higher end of the income bracket once they gain on-the-job experience.

Training and Development Managers salary

• Top 10% Annual Salary: More than $200,210 ($96.25/hour)
• Median Annual Salary: $115,640 ($55.60/hour)
• Bottom 10% Annual Salary: Less than $66,270 ($31.86/hour)