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The differences between material managers and planning managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a material manager, becoming a planning manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a planning manager has an average salary of $98,486, which is higher than the $96,125 average annual salary of a material manager.
The top three skills for a material manager include supply chain, logistics and customer service. The most important skills for a planning manager are project management, customer service, and strong analytical.
| Material Manager | Planning Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $96,125 | $98,486 |
| Hourly rate | $46.21 | $47.35 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 43,759 | 137,190 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
A material manager is responsible for monitoring inventories and stock supplies, ensuring the adequacy of materials needed for manufacturing or other operations, depending on the organization's industry. Material managers meet with suppliers and third-party vendors, negotiating contracts that would fit the budget goals of the company without compromising quality. They manage the distribution of resources throughout the organizations' department and provide purchase reports for the management. A material manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to address the needs of an organization for smooth operations.
Planning managers perform various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include planning and monitoring a project or department's budget, production schedule, and inventory, creating reports of new plans, programs, and regulations, and ensuring development proposals comply with requirements and regulations. Additionally, planning managers are expected to serve as an intermediary between developers, government entities, businesses, and communities. They also oversee site plans, rezoning, and special-use permits, set schedules for the project, and supervise other personnel such as developers and consultants.
Material managers and planning managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Manager | Planning Manager | |
| Average salary | $96,125 | $98,486 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $126,000 | Between $71,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | ZS |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a material manager and a planning manager in terms of educational background:
| Material Manager | Planning Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between material managers' and planning managers' demographics:
| Material Manager | Planning Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.7% Female, 22.3% | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |