Event planner vs planning coordinator

The differences between event planners and planning coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an event planner and a planning coordinator. Additionally, an event planner has an average salary of $51,542, which is higher than the $49,235 average annual salary of a planning coordinator.

The top three skills for an event planner include customer service, vendor contracts and plan events. The most important skills for a planning coordinator are patients, insurance benefits, and customer service.

Event planner vs planning coordinator overview

	Event Planner	Planning Coordinator
Yearly salary	$51,542	$49,235
Hourly rate	$24.78	$23.67
Growth rate	18%	-3%
Number of jobs	19,793	29,973
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	38	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does an event planner do?

An event planner is responsible for organizing events, following the clients' needs, instructions, and budget goals. Event planners must be highly communicative to coordinate and negotiate contracts with suppliers, third-party vendors, and venue rentals. They finalize the guest list, catering services, and assist with marketing materials to promote the event. An event planner should also have a broad knowledge of the current market industry trends, which plays a vital role in planning and organizing future event opportunities.

What does a planning coordinator do?

As planning coordinators, there are certain skills that this job requires to accomplish their responsibilities. They mostly work at the non-profits and health care facilities. Working as planning coordinators, it is expected that your communication skills are good, excellent customer service skills, and detail-oriented. Moreover, as a planning coordinator, part of their job is to focus on patient care, treatment plans, and medical records. This job is complex, and it's not limited to patient care but also managing financial statements and providing good customer service throughout.

Event planner vs planning coordinator salary

Event planners and planning coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Event Planner	Planning Coordinator
Average salary	$51,542	$49,235
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $74,000	Between $35,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Stamford, CT	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Maryland
Best paying company	Intelliswift	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between event planner and planning coordinator education

There are a few differences between an event planner and a planning coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Event Planner	Planning Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	University of Pennsylvania

Event planner vs planning coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between event planners' and planning coordinators' demographics:

	Event Planner	Planning Coordinator
Average age	38	45
Gender ratio	Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6%	Male, 32.1% Female, 67.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	16%	11%

Differences between event planner and planning coordinator duties and responsibilities

Event planner example responsibilities.

Manage client RFP s, develop detailed proposals & client pitches.
Produce, implement, and manage sales lead forms and online surveys to determine overall ROI.
Manage VIP & bottle service, sell tickets, hire promoters, promotional models, disc jockeys & staff for venues.
Manage and ship all marketing and advertising kits and giveaways for career fairs, on-campus presentations, final rounds and orientations.
Coordinate and host successful client seminars, creating invitations and promotional materials, booking venues, and selecting guest speakers.
Coordinate travel arrangements, including booking airfare, hotel and transportation.

Planning coordinator example responsibilities.

Lead enrollment process efficiently through securing proper registration forms, official transcripts, immunization records, and IEP documentation as needed.
Maintain production orders in ERP system.
Digitize maps for use in GIS applications.
Conduct GIS analysis and field assessments in support of conservation site selection.
Develop and implement treatment plan education per CMS standards for nurses and social workers.
Coordinate with nursing staff and therapy department to ensure rug rates are as accurate as possible.

Event planner vs planning coordinator skills

Common event planner skills

Customer Service, 15%
Vendor Contracts, 12%
Plan Events, 8%
Event Management, 6%
PowerPoint, 5%
Event Logistics, 3%

Common planning coordinator skills

Patients, 31%
Insurance Benefits, 11%
Customer Service, 11%
Data Entry, 4%
Rehabilitation, 3%
Logistics, 3%

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Event Planner vs Planning Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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