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The differences between material leads and master 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 material lead and a master scheduler. Additionally, a material lead has an average salary of $86,429, which is higher than the $77,733 average annual salary of a master scheduler.
The top three skills for a material lead include continuous improvement, logistics and materials management. The most important skills for a master scheduler are customer service, MRP, and program management.
| Material Lead | Master Scheduler | |
| Yearly salary | $86,429 | $77,733 |
| Hourly rate | $41.55 | $37.37 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 22,580 | 23,353 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A master scheduler is in charge of overseeing and developing a company's overall production schedule, ensuring quality and workforce adherence. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to determine their needs, developing daily schedules and objectives, disseminating scheduling notices, and conducting regular inspections to ensure the completion of projects in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, a master scheduler must produce progress reports and encourage workforce members to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Material leads and master schedulers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Lead | Master Scheduler | |
| Average salary | $86,429 | $77,733 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $132,000 | Between $59,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Biogen | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a material lead and a master scheduler in terms of educational background:
| Material Lead | Master Scheduler | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between material leads' and master schedulers' demographics:
| Material Lead | Master Scheduler | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1% | Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7% |
| 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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |