Learning and development investment does not look the same in every industry. A hospital, bank, logistics company and software firm face different regulatory obligations, operating risks, technologies and skill cycles. The useful question is therefore not which sector spends the most on training, but whether each organisation is investing in the capabilities that matter most to its strategy and workforce.<\/p>\n
ATD’s 2025 State of the Industry report, based on 2024 data from 539 organisations, found an average of 13.7 learning hours per employee<\/strong>. The differences by sector were substantial: trade, transportation and utilities reported about 16 hours per employee<\/strong>, while other service-providing industries including finance and insurance, professional and technical services, and accommodation and food service averaged around 7 hours<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Source: ATD 2025 State of the Industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n Those differences do not prove that one sector values development more than another. They reflect different operating models, role mixes, delivery methods and compliance requirements.<\/p>\n ATD reported average direct learning expenditure of $1,254 per employee in 2024<\/strong>. Small organisations in the sample spent considerably more per employee than large organisations, which illustrates why headline spend-per-person figures need context.<\/p>\n ATD’s newer 2026 State of the Industry summary reports another important shift: in 2025 the average amount of formal learning used rose to 16.7 hours per employee<\/strong>, while average direct learning expenditure fell to $846 per employee<\/strong>. The two measures moved in opposite directions.<\/p>\n Source: ATD 2026 State of the Industry highlights<\/a>.<\/p>\n Healthcare, financial services and other regulated sectors often need a larger share of mandatory, technical and compliance learning. The business case may be risk reduction, safer practice or regulatory readiness rather than direct revenue growth.<\/p>\n Technology organisations often face faster skill obsolescence. AI, cloud platforms, cybersecurity and changing development tools can make role-specific upskilling more important than a fixed annual curriculum.<\/p>\n Operational sectors frequently combine safety, compliance, equipment, process and supervisor development. ATD’s industry data showing relatively high learning hours in trade, transportation and utilities is consistent with that broader mix of role requirements.<\/p>\n Professional services may rely more heavily on experience, coaching, client work and informal learning. Lower formal training hours should not automatically be interpreted as lower development activity.<\/p>\n LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report found that 49% of L&D and talent professionals<\/strong> said executives were concerned employees did not have the skills needed to execute business strategy. The same report found that 91% of L&D professionals<\/strong> agreed continuous learning is more important than ever for career success.<\/p>\n Source: LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 likewise places skills gaps among the leading barriers to business transformation and reports that employers are prioritising workforce upskilling.<\/p>\n Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n Budget and training hours are useful operational measures, but they are weak measures of value on their own. A company can spend heavily on training that is poorly aligned with work, while another can spend less and achieve better transfer through coaching, practice and manager support.<\/p>\n Useful benchmarking questions include:<\/p>\n A practical L&D portfolio usually contains several different investment types:<\/p>\n An external average becomes useful only after an organisation has defined its own denominator and learning mix. A practical internal benchmark can track:<\/p>\nLearning budgets also vary by organisation size<\/h2>\n
Why industry context matters<\/h2>\n
Healthcare and regulated services<\/h3>\n
Technology<\/h3>\n
Transport, logistics and utilities<\/h3>\n
Professional and service businesses<\/h3>\n
Skills pressure is now a cross-industry issue<\/h2>\n
Do not benchmark your L&D strategy on spend alone<\/h2>\n
\n
Build a sector-specific learning portfolio<\/h2>\n
\n
Build your own L&D benchmark before comparing with the market<\/h2>\n