Material lead vs production scheduler

The differences between material leads 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 material lead and a production scheduler. Additionally, a material lead has an average salary of $86,429, which is higher than the $49,367 average annual salary of a production scheduler.

The top three skills for a material lead include continuous improvement, logistics and materials management. The most important skills for a production scheduler are customer service, MRP, and continuous improvement.

Material lead vs production scheduler overview

	Material Lead	Production Scheduler
Yearly salary	$86,429	$49,367
Hourly rate	$41.55	$23.73
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	22,580	64,551
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
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 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.

Material lead vs production scheduler salary

Material leads and production schedulers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Material Lead	Production Scheduler
Average salary	$86,429	$49,367
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $132,000	Between $33,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	South San Francisco, CA	Richmond, VA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Virginia
Best paying company	Biogen	Amphenol
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between material lead and production scheduler education

There are a few differences between a material lead and a production scheduler in terms of educational background:

	Material Lead	Production Scheduler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Material lead vs production scheduler demographics

Here are the differences between material leads' and production schedulers' demographics:

	Material Lead	Production Scheduler
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1%	Male, 54.3% Female, 45.7%
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, 16.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between material lead and production scheduler 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

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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 ,

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Material lead vs production scheduler skills

Common material lead skills

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

Common production scheduler skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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