Inventory planner vs production scheduler

The differences between inventory planners and production schedulers 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 production scheduler. Additionally, an inventory planner has an average salary of $65,504, which is higher than the $49,367 average annual salary of a production scheduler.

The top three skills for an inventory planner include supply chain, purchase orders and logistics. The most important skills for a production scheduler are customer service, MRP, and continuous improvement.

Inventory planner vs production scheduler overview

	Inventory Planner	Production Scheduler
Yearly salary	$65,504	$49,367
Hourly rate	$31.49	$23.73
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	37,034	64,551
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does an inventory planner do?

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.

What does a production scheduler do?

A production scheduler is in charge of developing manufacturing schedules to achieve short and long term production goals. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to understand the extent of all procedures, identifying the needs of clients, and devising strategies for optimal operations. They must also monitor the company's resources and workforce to ensure that everything runs smoothly in adherence to all schedules, making changes only when necessary. Furthermore, as a production scheduler, it is essential to encourage the workforce to reach goals and deadlines, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Inventory planner vs production scheduler salary

Inventory planners and production schedulers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Inventory Planner	Production Scheduler
Average salary	$65,504	$49,367
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $93,000	Between $33,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	San Bruno, CA	Richmond, VA
Highest paying state	California	Virginia
Best paying company	Entegris	Amphenol
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between inventory planner and production scheduler education

There are a few differences between an inventory planner and a production scheduler in terms of educational background:

	Inventory Planner	Production Scheduler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Inventory planner vs production scheduler demographics

Here are the differences between inventory planners' and production schedulers' demographics:

	Inventory Planner	Production Scheduler
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 53.0% Female, 47.0%	Male, 54.3% Female, 45.7%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between inventory planner and production scheduler duties and responsibilities

Inventory planner example responsibilities.

Develop process to manage import orders to manage time and inventory more effectively JDA E3 certify.
Participate in SIOP meeting and coordinate with all function teams and regional/global team to achieve corporate KPI.
Develop and implement purchasing and contract management, policies and procedures and manage ISO documents and improvements.
Review stock levels, imbalances and data integrity in JDA to ensure the supply plan is generating accurate information.
Handle complex monthly reconciliations and daily/weekly journal entries to ensure AR balance accuracy.
Facilitate communication channels between the sales groups and corporate logistics to drive improve demand forecast.

Production scheduler example responsibilities.

Lead a Kaizen to improve efficiency and reduce non-value add work in the scheduling department.
Manage and purchase all MRO material inventory supplies for the production of automotive safety products.
Design, develop, and manage process of ordering and maintaining materials not migrate into ERP system.
Supervise NPI chip fulfillment process - manage wafer starts to meet internal qualification and board level build plan.
Generate prioritize schedules by manufacturing work centers base on MRP requirements, material availability, and capacity constraints.
Inventory reduction, JIT, OTD ,

Inventory planner vs production scheduler skills

Common inventory planner skills

Supply Chain, 12%
Purchase Orders, 9%
Logistics, 8%
Manage Inventory, 8%
Inventory Planning, 7%
Historical Data, 4%

Common production scheduler skills

Customer Service, 12%
MRP, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
ERP, 5%
Production Planning, 4%
Lean Manufacturing, 3%

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Inventory Planner vs Production Scheduler

Updated January 8, 2025

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