Manufacturing planner vs production scheduler

The differences between manufacturing 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 a manufacturing planner and a production scheduler. Additionally, a manufacturing planner has an average salary of $65,109, which is higher than the $49,367 average annual salary of a production scheduler.

The top three skills for a manufacturing planner include BOM, shop floor and engineering drawings. The most important skills for a production scheduler are customer service, MRP, and continuous improvement.

Manufacturing planner vs production scheduler overview

	Manufacturing Planner	Production Scheduler
Yearly salary	$65,109	$49,367
Hourly rate	$31.30	$23.73
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	46,577	64,551
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

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 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.

Manufacturing planner vs production scheduler salary

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

	Manufacturing Planner	Production Scheduler
Average salary	$65,109	$49,367
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $89,000	Between $33,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Richmond, VA
Highest paying state	California	Virginia
Best paying company	Micron Technology	Amphenol
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between manufacturing planner and production scheduler education

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

	Manufacturing Planner	Production Scheduler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Manufacturing planner vs production scheduler demographics

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

	Manufacturing Planner	Production Scheduler
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%	Male, 54.3% Female, 45.7%
Race ratio	Black 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, 10.1% 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 manufacturing planner and production scheduler 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.

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 ,

Manufacturing planner vs production scheduler skills

Common manufacturing planner skills

BOM, 10%
Shop Floor, 8%
Engineering Drawings, 7%
Lean Manufacturing, 7%
Production Schedules, 6%
Production Planning, 5%

Common production scheduler skills

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

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Manufacturing Planner vs Production Scheduler

Updated January 8, 2025

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