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The differences between demand planners and senior 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 senior buyer. Additionally, a demand planner has an average salary of $82,287, which is higher than the $79,848 average annual salary of a senior buyer.
The top three skills for a demand planner include supply chain, customer service and logistics. The most important skills for a senior buyer are supply chain, purchase orders, and MRP.
| Demand Planner | Senior Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,287 | $79,848 |
| Hourly rate | $39.56 | $38.39 |
| Growth rate | 28% | - |
| Number of jobs | 27,351 | 27,412 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
The job of senior buyers, or also known as purchasing agents, is to meet the material needs of an organization. They are responsible for finding suppliers, arranging the distribution to several retail outlets, and supervising other purchasing agents. They also look for new product streams and establish procurement strategies. Senior buyers typically begin their careers as assistant buyers or junior purchasing agents. Most employers usually prefer those with college degrees in marketing, business, and economics.
Demand planners and senior buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Demand Planner | Senior Buyer | |
| Average salary | $82,287 | $79,848 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $109,000 | Between $56,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Capgemini |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a demand planner and a senior buyer in terms of educational background:
| Demand Planner | Senior Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between demand planners' and senior buyers' demographics:
| Demand Planner | Senior Buyer | |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 57.7% Female, 42.3% |
| 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, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |