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Manufacturing planner vs materials planner

The differences between manufacturing 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 a manufacturing planner and a materials planner. Additionally, a manufacturing planner has an average salary of $65,109, which is higher than the $58,467 average annual salary of a materials planner.

The top three skills for a manufacturing planner include BOM, shop floor and engineering drawings. The most important skills for a materials planner are supply chain, MRP, and purchase orders.

Manufacturing planner vs materials planner overview

Manufacturing PlannerMaterials Planner
Yearly salary$65,109$58,467
Hourly rate$31.30$28.11
Growth rate-3%-3%
Number of jobs46,57723,019
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

What does a manufacturing planner do?

It is the responsibility of a manufacturing planner to keep track of the production schedule. The duties of manufacturing planners involve the development of a master schedule with management consultation. They oversee the workflow of the production hub or facility. Their job includes the coordination of the production of one or more products. They ensure the promptness and accuracy of the production process. Also, they plan and prioritize the overall process for efficiency.

What does a materials planner do?

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.

Manufacturing planner vs materials planner salary

Manufacturing planners and materials planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

Manufacturing PlannerMaterials Planner
Average salary$65,109$58,467
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $89,000Between $45,000 And $74,000
Highest paying CityFremont, CAOakland, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyMicron TechnologyApple
Best paying industryTechnologyAutomotive

Differences between manufacturing planner and materials planner education

There are a few differences between a manufacturing planner and a materials planner in terms of educational background:

Manufacturing PlannerMaterials Planner
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Manufacturing planner vs materials planner demographics

Here are the differences between manufacturing planners' and materials planners' demographics:

Manufacturing PlannerMaterials Planner
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 69.4% Female, 30.6%Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.2% White, 61.2% 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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between manufacturing planner and materials planner duties and responsibilities

Manufacturing planner example responsibilities.

  • Manage the kanban system for the entire plant, consisting of rubber, nylon, and metal compounds.
  • Manage inventory levels for commodities of raw materials.
  • Monitor WIP ensuring products are complete in order to meet require customer due dates.
  • Reduce WIP costs and negative inventory by eliminating errors in BOMs and material transactions.
  • Update BOM for existing test plans, and create and populate BOM for new (production) planning.
  • Document all BOM requirements such as raw material, hardware and any other supplies necessary to produce the product.
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Materials planner example responsibilities.

  • Develop and implement purchasing and contract management, policies and procedures and manage ISO documents and improvements.
  • Determine material and component requirements base on the MRP system and ensure availability to support production schedules.
  • Monitor MRP forecasts, inventory, customer demand, production requirements, inventory transactions and reject material.
  • Create and maintain MRP classification codes in addition to reviewing BOM accuracy to ensure correct component identification, ordering and release.
  • Maintain and setup supplier pull systems (KANBAN).
  • Key team member in planning, training, implementation, and support of a new ERP system.
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Manufacturing planner vs materials planner skills

Common manufacturing planner skills
  • BOM, 10%
  • Shop Floor, 8%
  • Engineering Drawings, 7%
  • Lean Manufacturing, 7%
  • Production Schedules, 6%
  • Production Planning, 5%
Common materials planner skills
  • Supply Chain, 12%
  • MRP, 8%
  • Purchase Orders, 5%
  • Logistics, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Material Planning, 5%

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