Buyer vs planner

The differences between buyers and planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a buyer, becoming a planner takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a planner has an average salary of $63,161, which is higher than the $54,049 average annual salary of a buyer.

The top three skills for a buyer include purchase orders, customer service and logistics. The most important skills for a planner are customer service, exceptional client, and logistics.

Buyer vs planner overview

	Buyer	Planner
Yearly salary	$54,049	$63,161
Hourly rate	$25.99	$30.37
Growth rate	-	4%
Number of jobs	23,589	15,269
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	-	2

What does a buyer do?

A buyer's duties include product sourcing and comparing resources for the best product range that would suit the specific needs of the business. Buyers must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to evaluate items that most likely benefit the customer and improve the sales of daily operations with cost-efficient products. They also conduct extensive research for market and price trends while considering the highest quality standards. Buyers should also possess strong analytical skills to create purchase orders and statistical analysis.

What does a planner do?

As the name entails, planners assist in creating a broad vision for a community. They conduct research, design, and advanced programs. Some of them focus on a few roles, such as planning transportation, while some will most likely work at different planning types throughout their profession. They develop a plan through data analysis, determine the project's goals or the community, and form a specific vision. They also identify the strategies to help the city realized its goals and vision.

Buyer vs planner salary

Buyers and planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Buyer	Planner
Average salary	$54,049	$63,161
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $76,000	Between $45,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	Englewood, NJ	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Meta
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between buyer and planner education

There are a few differences between a buyer and a planner in terms of educational background:

	Buyer	Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of Pennsylvania

Buyer vs planner demographics

Here are the differences between buyers' and planners' demographics:

	Buyer	Planner
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 43.9% Female, 56.1%	Male, 54.4% Female, 45.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	15%	13%

Differences between buyer and planner duties and responsibilities

Buyer example responsibilities.

Achieve QA initiatives by increasing transparency and communication with multiple departments and suppliers to achieve daily/weekly/monthly production requirements and expedites.
Manage all incoming RMA equipment, processing and directing to correct locations and departments.
Create, analyze and manage recaps pertaining to inventory, trends, OTB, and markdowns.
Manage KanBan spreadsheets to optimize inventory levels and supplier performance.
Manage business relationship with Japanese OEM of wide-format printer engines.
Manage MRB and IQA escalations to facilitate defective material resolutions.

Planner example responsibilities.

Develop and managing the database for CDBG applicants.
Key role in managing and planning projects from sketch to approve plans.
Manage creation of replenishment loads (purchase or DRP) that are optimize to minimize logistical costs.
Assist with forecasting machines, accessories, and coffee with various departments in order to achieve monthly KPI's.
Develop and manage all types of inventory from finish goods, WIP (work in process) to raw material.
Manage RFQ process - gather quotations, examine bids with engineering and management, negotiate prices with suppliers and make awards.

Buyer vs planner skills

Common buyer skills

Purchase Orders, 22%
Customer Service, 11%
Logistics, 5%
Supplier Performance, 4%
MRP, 4%
Commodities, 3%

Common planner skills

Customer Service, 13%
Exceptional Client, 8%
Logistics, 8%
Project Management, 6%
Excellent Interpersonal, 4%
Strong Analytical, 4%