Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between inventory planners and materials planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an inventory planner and a materials planner. Additionally, an inventory planner has an average salary of $65,504, which is higher than the $58,467 average annual salary of a materials planner.
The top three skills for an inventory planner include supply chain, purchase orders and logistics. The most important skills for a materials planner are supply chain, MRP, and purchase orders.
| Inventory Planner | Materials Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $65,504 | $58,467 |
| Hourly rate | $31.49 | $28.11 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 37,034 | 23,019 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 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.
Usually working in a manufacturing setting, a materials planner's role is to manage the supply flow and inventory of materials. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with vendors and other external agencies, processing purchase orders, monitoring the quality of supplies to ensure it is according to the standards, and coordinating with various teams to learn their needs. Furthermore, as a planner, it is essential to devise strategies to resolve any issues, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
Inventory planners and materials planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inventory Planner | Materials Planner | |
| Average salary | $65,504 | $58,467 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $93,000 | Between $45,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Entegris | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an inventory planner and a materials planner in terms of educational background:
| Inventory Planner | Materials Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between inventory planners' and materials planners' demographics:
| Inventory Planner | Materials Planner | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.0% Female, 47.0% | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |