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The differences between demand planners and purchasing assistants 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 assistant. Additionally, a demand planner has an average salary of $82,287, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.
The top three skills for a demand planner include supply chain, customer service and logistics. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $82,287 | $38,331 |
| Hourly rate | $39.56 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | 28% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,351 | 8,415 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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 assistant is responsible for obtaining raw materials and goods for a business or company. They primarily function to assist purchasing managers or supervisors by keeping records, maintaining inventory, reviewing purchase orders, and monitoring shipments and deliveries. Furthermore, a purchasing assistant may perform administrative support tasks ranging from arranging appointments and managing schedules, answering calls and inquiries, reaching out to vendors and suppliers, producing reports, and coordinating with various departments to ensure the smooth flow of products within the company.
Demand planners and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $82,287 | $38,331 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $109,000 | Between $31,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Meta | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a demand planner and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between demand planners' and purchasing assistants' demographics:
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |