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The differences between logistics specialists and supply chain planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a logistics specialist and a supply chain planner. Additionally, a supply chain planner has an average salary of $80,668, which is higher than the $41,537 average annual salary of a logistics specialist.
The top three skills for a logistics specialist include customer service, shipping receiving and inventory control. The most important skills for a supply chain planner are supply chain, customer service, and supply chain planning.
| Logistics Specialist | Supply Chain Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $41,537 | $80,668 |
| Hourly rate | $19.97 | $38.78 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 35,753 | 36,145 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A logistics specialist is a member of the workforce that handles the logistics procedures in a warehouse or similar establishment. A logistics specialist primarily functions in processing orders, preparing goods, receiving shipments, and even shipping deliveries, ensuring that all transactions are within the allotted schedule. Furthermore, they are in charge of overseeing that all shipments are aligned with the expected quality and quantity, maintaining an accurate record of inventory, producing reports, and coordinating with other members of the team. All while adhering to the policies and standards of the company.
The job of supply chain planners, or logisticians, is to plan, develop, and schedule project management tools in support of an organization's operations. They are responsible for managing and monitoring inventories, forecasting production and sales levels, and tracking response time and delivery performance. Other duties include analyzing the levels of finished products, developing and monitoring production plans, and generating reports. Supply chain planners are also responsible for supervising other team members and ensuring that customer service best practices are followed.
Logistics specialists and supply chain planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Logistics Specialist | Supply Chain Planner | |
| Average salary | $41,537 | $80,668 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $58,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | GCP Applied Technologies | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a logistics specialist and a supply chain planner in terms of educational background:
| Logistics Specialist | Supply Chain Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between logistics specialists' and supply chain planners' demographics:
| Logistics Specialist | Supply Chain Planner | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5% | Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 49.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |