Evaluation Specialist

Career Guide

An Evaluation Specialist designs and runs evaluations to understand whether a program, service, or policy is working. They define success measures, collect and analyze evidence, and communicate findings so leaders can improve results and make better funding and strategy decisions.

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Key Responsibilities

Define evaluation goals, questions, and success measures
Build evaluation plans, timelines, and budgets
Develop data collection tools such as surveys and interview guides
Coordinate data collection with staff, partners, and vendors
Ensure data quality, privacy, and ethical practices
Analyze quantitative data and qualitative data
Interpret results and connect findings to program decisions
Write clear reports, briefs, and presentations for nontechnical audiences
Support learning sessions and improvement planning with stakeholders
Maintain documentation for methods, assumptions, and limitations

Top Skills for Success

Stakeholder Management

Written Communication

Presentation Skills

Project Management

Data Analysis

Survey Design

Interviewing

Qualitative Analysis

Evaluation Design

Program Theory Development

Indicator Development

Ethics And Privacy

Grant Compliance

Reporting And Visualization

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Senior Evaluation Specialist

Monitoring And Evaluation Manager

Research Manager

Program Manager

Quality Improvement Manager

Transition Opportunities

Data Analyst

Policy Analyst

Program Director

Research Scientist

Impact Measurement Lead

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Advanced Statistical MethodsQualitative Coding RigorEvaluation PlanningFacilitationData VisualizationPrivacy ComplianceCost AnalysisProcurement Management

Development SuggestionsBuild a small portfolio with one evaluation plan, one survey, one interview guide, and one short findings brief. Practice turning results into clear recommendations. Strengthen analysis skills with a focused course in statistics and qualitative methods, then apply them to a real dataset.

Market Intelligence Report

Evaluation Specialist is part of the Data Analysis category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

See the market intelligence report

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 55,000 to 75,000

Mid LevelUSD 75,000 to 105,000

Senior LevelUSD 105,000 to 140,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand. Hiring is supported by government accountability requirements, grant funded programs, healthcare quality improvement, and increased use of evidence in funding and policy decisions.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

MathematicaWestatRTI InternationalAbt GlobalICFDeloitteKPMGUNICEFWorld BankBill And Melinda Gates Foundation

Industry Sectors

GovernmentNonprofit OrganizationsInternational DevelopmentHealthcareEducationPhilanthropyManagement ConsultingResearch Organizations

Recommended Next Steps

Create a one page evaluation plan template you can reuse

Build a sample dashboard that tracks 5 to 10 program indicators

Draft a concise findings brief with recommendations based on a public dataset

Seek a role supporting grant reporting or program measurement to gain practical experience

Join a professional community focused on evaluation and impact measurement

Request informational interviews with evaluation teams in government, nonprofits, and consultancies