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The differences between demand planners and purchasing agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a demand planner and a purchasing agent. Additionally, a demand planner has an average salary of $82,287, which is higher than the $51,950 average annual salary of a purchasing agent.
The top three skills for a demand planner include supply chain, customer service and logistics. The most important skills for a purchasing agent are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $82,287 | $51,950 |
| Hourly rate | $39.56 | $24.98 |
| Growth rate | 28% | - |
| Number of jobs | 27,351 | 45,856 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection. Purchasing agents should also be proficient in interpreting and evaluating data, researching on best marketing sources and alternatives, issuing required documentation for suppliers, as well as managing customer queries as needed. Being a purchasing agent requires critical-thinking skills in assessing concerns and providing solutions should there be any possible negotiation conflicts.
Demand planners and purchasing agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average salary | $82,287 | $51,950 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $109,000 | Between $37,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Meta | Abiomed |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a demand planner and a purchasing agent in terms of educational background:
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between demand planners' and purchasing agents' demographics:
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |