Inventory manager vs inventory analyst

The differences between inventory managers and inventory analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an inventory manager has an average salary of $62,768, which is higher than the $58,944 average annual salary of an inventory analyst.

The top three skills for an inventory manager include PET, direct reports and customer service. The most important skills for an inventory analyst are supply chain, customer service, and logistics.

Inventory manager vs inventory analyst overview

	Inventory Manager	Inventory Analyst
Yearly salary	$62,768	$58,944
Hourly rate	$30.18	$28.34
Growth rate	-6%	23%
Number of jobs	30,717	25,500
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	47	45
Years of experience	6	-

What does an inventory manager do?

An inventory manager is responsible for supervising the overall inventory operations, monitoring supplies and materials, and checking the accuracy of data reports from the inventory associates. Inventory managers' duties include validating stock levels using record software tools, determining the availability of stocks for purchase orders, inspecting the incoming and outgoing shipments, and addressing product concerns by communicating with suppliers and third-party vendors. An inventory manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the staff's performance and manage customers' inquiries and complaints.

What does an inventory analyst do?

An inventory analyst is an individual who is responsible for managing inventory items and the daily inventory operations of an organization. Inventory analysts are required to analyze inventory statistics and perform financial analytics to determine which products are selling the most and which are under-performing. They must coordinate with project managers and shipping supervisors to plan and schedule pickups of inventory items. Inventory analysts also order inventory from vendors and document any inventory discrepancies, such as missing items.

Inventory manager vs inventory analyst salary

Inventory managers and inventory analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Inventory Manager	Inventory Analyst
Average salary	$62,768	$58,944
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $91,000	Between $42,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Intel
Best paying industry	Retail	Manufacturing

Differences between inventory manager and inventory analyst education

There are a few differences between an inventory manager and an inventory analyst in terms of educational background:

	Inventory Manager	Inventory Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Southern California

Inventory manager vs inventory analyst demographics

Here are the differences between inventory managers' and inventory analysts' demographics:

	Inventory Manager	Inventory Analyst
Average age	47	45
Gender ratio	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%	Male, 56.1% Female, 43.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 8.5% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	9%

Differences between inventory manager and inventory analyst duties and responsibilities

Inventory manager example responsibilities.

Accomplish and operate MRP and produce purchasing orders to optimize inventories of materials and supplies necessary to achieve production demands.
Manage a wide variety of customer service and administrative software such as TallyWizard and QuickBooks.
Manage control measures to ensure mistakes, inaccuracies and discrepancies are highlight, addressed and resolve.
Manage credit control, monthly reconciliations, management analysis and internal control.
Reduce new parts inventory and increase cash flow level each year with JIT deliveries.
Create and implement numerous processes, reports, and indicators for MRO inventory management.

Inventory analyst example responsibilities.

Manage vendor compliance and EDI contacts; set up new vendors and monitor EDI data flow.
Manage inventory procurement through MRP software.
Manage production and non-production stockrooms to ensure that inventory FIFO exceed industry standards.
Manage inventory levels by running bi-weekly MRP reports by identifying and validating purchasing requirements.
Collect, document, monitor, and review inventory data for accuracy and timeliness within an ERP SL system.
Analyze inventory transactions within ERP system.

Inventory manager vs inventory analyst skills

Common inventory manager skills

PET, 75%
Direct Reports, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Inventory Control, 2%
Logistics, 2%
Manage Inventory, 2%

Common inventory analyst skills

Supply Chain, 12%
Customer Service, 9%
Logistics, 7%
Purchase Orders, 6%
Inventory Control, 5%
Manage Inventory, 4%

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Inventory Manager
Inventory Manager vs Inventory Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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