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Account planner vs customer account manager

The differences between account planners and customer account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an account planner and a customer account manager. Additionally, an account planner has an average salary of $71,823, which is higher than the $45,951 average annual salary of a customer account manager.

The top three skills for an account planner include digital marketing, media sales and nielsen. The most important skills for a customer account manager are customer service, customer accounts, and CRM.

Account planner vs customer account manager overview

Account PlannerCustomer Account Manager
Yearly salary$71,823$45,951
Hourly rate$34.53$22.09
Growth rate19%8%
Number of jobs82,798110,138
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age3747
Years of experience66

What does an account planner do?

An account planner is someone who works primarily with clients on how to improve their accounts, sales strategy, and marketing. The account planner creates, develops, and maintains clients' accounts to increase sales and make them profitable. Included in an account planner's task is to monitor competition, determine problems in the actual marketing campaign, provide insight into the market's status, and offer suggestions on how to improve. The account planner also communicates directly with the client and actively works with them to achieve success.

What does a customer account manager do?

Customer Account Managers are employees who specialize in keeping good, professional relationships with the company's clients. They are assigned specific customers and key clients to manage. Customer account managers are in charge of maintaining the customers' loyalty. As such, customer account managers are expected to provide first-class service to their customers. This includes providing them special promotions related to the company's services, keeping special communication lines for client concerns, and expediting client requests. They ensure that their customers receive their product or service requests on time and in good condition.

Account planner vs customer account manager salary

Account planners and customer account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Account PlannerCustomer Account Manager
Average salary$71,823$45,951
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $107,000Between $29,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityHarrison, NYNew York, NY
Highest paying stateDelawareAlaska
Best paying companyGoogleMouser Electronics
Best paying industryProfessionalTechnology

Differences between account planner and customer account manager education

There are a few differences between an account planner and a customer account manager in terms of educational background:

Account PlannerCustomer Account Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaCalifornia State University - Bakersfield

Account planner vs customer account manager demographics

Here are the differences between account planners' and customer account managers' demographics:

Account PlannerCustomer Account Manager
Average age3747
Gender ratioMale, 38.6% Female, 61.4%Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 13.2% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 5.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage10%8%

Differences between account planner and customer account manager duties and responsibilities

Account planner example responsibilities.

  • Guide production planning activities ranging from developing and revising production schedules, forecasting trends and customer demand, and managing logistics.
  • Direct inbound or outbound logistics operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, or logistics quality management.
  • Coordinate the quality control for clients' letters and mailings as well as ran data pulls and file selects for clients.

Customer account manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead project of reducing checks process by leveraging ACH payments resulting in a savings on head count.
  • Manage inventory logistics which includes coordinating inventory levels with production schedules and international delivery deadlines.
  • Assist in managing transaction logistics including quote comparison, term negotiation, facilitation and arrangement of delivery of automobiles to customers.
  • Decrease staff time (and payroll) with customer issues by launching CRM and leading regional implementation and training.
  • Enter invoices into QuickBooks from carrier that is delivering material to destination.
  • Take orders from customer, enter into QuickBooks, send customers order confirmation.
  • Show more

Account planner vs customer account manager skills

Common account planner skills
  • Digital Marketing, 27%
  • Media Sales, 11%
  • Nielsen, 9%
  • Account Executives, 9%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
  • Creative Strategy, 3%
Common customer account manager skills
  • Customer Service, 26%
  • Customer Accounts, 17%
  • CRM, 10%
  • Collections Process, 8%
  • Persuasion, 8%
  • Customer Retention, 7%

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