Material lead vs inventory coordinator

The differences between material leads and inventory coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a material lead and an inventory coordinator. Additionally, a material lead has an average salary of $86,429, which is higher than the $37,142 average annual salary of an inventory coordinator.

The top three skills for a material lead include continuous improvement, logistics and materials management. The most important skills for an inventory coordinator are customer service, cleanliness, and sales floor.

Material lead vs inventory coordinator overview

	Material Lead	Inventory Coordinator
Yearly salary	$86,429	$37,142
Hourly rate	$41.55	$17.86
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	22,580	38,774
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a material lead do?

As a material lead, they must know record-keeping practices, automated system operations, safety/supervisory practices and principles, adopt skills in operating materials handling, automotive and office equipment, and in lifting heavy packages and objects. They are entitled to coordinate the activities of subordinates, design stockroom layout and oversee rearranging processes, examine incoming shipments for shortage or damage and correspond with the shipper to rectify and fill out appropriate documents and forms. They also need to review the complex work procedure to resolve question presentations by workers.

What does an inventory coordinator do?

An inventory coordinator specializes in overseeing the supply flow of materials in a warehouse or similar setting. It is their responsibility to manage and handle the inventory, ensuring that the quantity and quality of materials align with company standards. Moreover, they are also responsible for assessing staff's performance, coordinating with different employees to ensure the accuracy of services, gathering and organizing data, maintaining records of transactions, and responding to any inquiries or concerns. As an inventory coordinator, it is essential to devise strategies for optimal performance, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Material lead vs inventory coordinator salary

Material leads and inventory coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Material Lead	Inventory Coordinator
Average salary	$86,429	$37,142
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $132,000	Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	South San Francisco, CA	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	North Dakota
Best paying company	Biogen	BD
Best paying industry	Technology	Energy

Differences between material lead and inventory coordinator education

There are a few differences between a material lead and an inventory coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Material Lead	Inventory Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Material lead vs inventory coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between material leads' and inventory coordinators' demographics:

	Material Lead	Inventory Coordinator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1%	Male, 56.3% Female, 43.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between material lead and inventory coordinator duties and responsibilities

Material lead example responsibilities.

Manage materials MRP software systems set-up, sourcing, planning and layout for new product introduction of GACB.
Lead project to establish a Kanban system for hardware to a key station to reduce cycle time and increase efficiency.
Manage re-establishment of material management ERP system.
Manage all incoming domestic and overseas products including MRO and consignment materials.
Manage all raw materials and conduct inventory audits, maintain compliance guidelines, and supervise MRO purchasing to balance material shortage/surplus.
Utilize multiple databases and MRP systems to identify and resolve inventory issues daily

Inventory coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage several inventory locations within ERP system.
Manage delivery of raw material to production through communication with material handlers using FIFO.
Select components for manufacturing assembly/test orders and perform inventory transactions via ERP system.
Assist customers with their pet care needs, offering advice and recommendations.
Review existing WMS system, provide input for improvements, and provide end user training.
Use RF scan gun for daily functions and train for all daily functions of warehouse production.

Material lead vs inventory coordinator skills

Common material lead skills

Continuous Improvement, 9%
Logistics, 9%
Materials Management, 6%
Lean Manufacturing, 4%
Purchase Orders, 4%
Sigma, 4%

Common inventory coordinator skills

Customer Service, 25%
Cleanliness, 10%
Sales Floor, 9%
Physical Inventory, 6%
Inventory Control, 5%
Purchase Orders, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Material Lead
Material Lead vs Inventory Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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