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The differences between demand planners and materials planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a demand planner, becoming a materials planner takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a demand planner has an average salary of $82,287, which is higher than the $58,467 average annual salary of a materials planner.
The top three skills for a demand planner include supply chain, customer service and logistics. The most important skills for a materials planner are supply chain, MRP, and purchase orders.
| Demand Planner | Materials Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $82,287 | $58,467 |
| Hourly rate | $39.56 | $28.11 |
| Growth rate | 28% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 27,351 | 23,019 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A demand planner specializes in conducting research and analysis to develop forecast models that will help determine a supply chain's demands. They are also responsible for monitoring the inventory of products, maintaining knowledge and awareness on the latest trends, producing progress reports and presentations, establishing demand plans, and detecting any changes in the forecast, reporting them to management right away. Furthermore, as a demand planner, it is essential to coordinate with everyone in the team, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
Usually working in a manufacturing setting, a materials planner's role is to manage the supply flow and inventory of materials. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with vendors and other external agencies, processing purchase orders, monitoring the quality of supplies to ensure it is according to the standards, and coordinating with various teams to learn their needs. Furthermore, as a planner, it is essential to devise strategies to resolve any issues, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
Demand planners and materials planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Demand Planner | Materials Planner | |
| Average salary | $82,287 | $58,467 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $109,000 | Between $45,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a demand planner and a materials planner in terms of educational background:
| Demand Planner | Materials Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between demand planners' and materials planners' demographics:
| Demand Planner | Materials Planner | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 11.1% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |