Inventory planner vs project scheduler

The differences between inventory planners and project 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 project scheduler. Additionally, a project scheduler has an average salary of $85,491, which is higher than the $65,504 average annual salary of an inventory planner.

The top three skills for an inventory planner include supply chain, purchase orders and logistics. The most important skills for a project scheduler are project management, primavera p6, and project controls.

Inventory planner vs project scheduler overview

	Inventory Planner	Project Scheduler
Yearly salary	$65,504	$85,491
Hourly rate	$31.49	$41.10
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	37,034	17,065
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
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 project scheduler do?

A project scheduler is responsible for organizing and managing project schedules, including meetings, appointments, and other related activities involved in the operational production. Project schedulers coordinate with clients and business partners to inform them of the schedule, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and take note of their availability, especially on cancellations and reschedules. They also perform administrative and clerical tasks as needed, such as writing meeting reports, updating clients' information on the database, operating the scheduling management system software, and evaluating progress reports and project deadlines.

Inventory planner vs project scheduler salary

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

	Inventory Planner	Project Scheduler
Average salary	$65,504	$85,491
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $93,000	Between $61,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	San Bruno, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Entegris	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Technology	Professional

Differences between inventory planner and project scheduler education

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

	Inventory Planner	Project Scheduler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Inventory planner vs project scheduler demographics

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

	Inventory Planner	Project Scheduler
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 53.0% Female, 47.0%	Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2%
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, 16.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between inventory planner and project 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.

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Project scheduler example responsibilities.

Manage WIP at outside vendors to ensure the timely completion of orders and desire priorities are achieve.
Manage multiple fee pools (CPFF, CPAF, and CPIF).
Deliver assets and manage QA segment for creative team
Make purchase requisitions in MAXIMO program, inventory, accounts payable and manage budget.
Manage daily ERP requirements for work order release to the manufacturing floor to ensure on-time delivery.
Manage logistics activities with suppliers and carry out plans to gather, box and ship material for overseas projects.

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Inventory planner vs project scheduler skills

Common inventory planner skills

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

Common project scheduler skills

Project Management, 10%
Primavera P6, 8%
Project Controls, 6%
Microsoft Project, 5%
Work Breakdown Structure, 4%
Scheduling Software, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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