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The differences between demand planners and purchasing buyers 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 buyer. Additionally, a demand planner has an average salary of $82,287, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.
The top three skills for a demand planner include supply chain, customer service and logistics. The most important skills for a purchasing buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,287 | $47,471 |
| Hourly rate | $39.56 | $22.82 |
| Growth rate | 28% | - |
| Number of jobs | 27,351 | 21,158 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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.
In a retail setting, a purchasing buyer is primarily responsible for devising strategies for procuring supplies, ensuring that it aligns with the company's needs and standards. They are also responsible for conducting thorough marketing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather and process documentation, liaising and negotiating with vendors and suppliers, and keeping track of all purchasing orders to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, as a purchasing buyer, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and submit regular reports to supervisors.
Demand planners and purchasing buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average salary | $82,287 | $47,471 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $109,000 | Between $35,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Goleta, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Aramco Services Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a demand planner and a purchasing buyer in terms of educational background:
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between demand planners' and purchasing buyers' demographics:
| Demand Planner | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |