Manufacturing planner vs project scheduler

The differences between manufacturing 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 a manufacturing planner and a project scheduler. Additionally, a project scheduler has an average salary of $85,491, which is higher than the $65,109 average annual salary of a manufacturing planner.

The top three skills for a manufacturing planner include BOM, shop floor and engineering drawings. The most important skills for a project scheduler are project management, primavera p6, and project controls.

Manufacturing planner vs project scheduler overview

	Manufacturing Planner	Project Scheduler
Yearly salary	$65,109	$85,491
Hourly rate	$31.30	$41.10
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	46,577	17,065
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
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 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.

Manufacturing planner vs project scheduler salary

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

	Manufacturing Planner	Project Scheduler
Average salary	$65,109	$85,491
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $89,000	Between $61,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Micron Technology	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Technology	Professional

Differences between manufacturing planner and project scheduler education

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

	Manufacturing Planner	Project Scheduler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Manufacturing planner vs project scheduler demographics

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

	Manufacturing Planner	Project Scheduler
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%	Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2%
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, 10.2% 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 manufacturing planner and project 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.

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.

Manufacturing planner vs project scheduler skills

Common manufacturing planner skills

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

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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Manufacturing Planner
Manufacturing Planner vs Project Scheduler

Updated January 8, 2025

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