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The differences between inventory planners and inventory controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an inventory planner has an average salary of $65,504, which is higher than the $36,911 average annual salary of an inventory controller.
The top three skills for an inventory planner include supply chain, purchase orders and logistics. The most important skills for an inventory controller are inventory control, customer service, and data entry.
| Inventory Planner | Inventory Controller | |
| Yearly salary | $65,504 | $36,911 |
| Hourly rate | $31.49 | $17.75 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 37,034 | 140,496 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 45 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
An inventory planner is an individual who is responsible for creating effective inventory plans and strategies to maximize profitability for an organization. Inventory planners are required to produce documents that detail the quantity specifications of the organization's product or equipment. They must maintain their files updated about the inventory by recording them into the organization's databases to avoid possible discrepancies. Inventory planners must also predict future inventory needs and producing plans for buying based on forecasts and sales data.
An inventory controller is responsible for performing duties for the inventory department of an organization. Inventory controllers ensure the adequacy of the product and materials needed for daily operations. They maintain inventory reports, manage stock supplies, negotiate with third-party vendors for orders of quality products, monitor deliveries, verifying orders for shipment, handling the employee and customers' requests for supplies, and receiving orders efficiently. Inventory controllers keep receipts of all inventory transactions, as well as inspecting the quality of the inventory items, requiring them to have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills.
Inventory planners and inventory controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inventory Planner | Inventory Controller | |
| Average salary | $65,504 | $36,911 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $93,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | Everett, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Entegris | General Dynamics Mission Systems |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an inventory planner and an inventory controller in terms of educational background:
| Inventory Planner | Inventory Controller | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | - |
Here are the differences between inventory planners' and inventory controllers' demographics:
| Inventory Planner | Inventory Controller | |
| Average age | 45 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.0% Female, 47.0% | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 6% |