Material manager vs planning supervisor

The differences between material managers and planning supervisors 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 supervisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a material manager has an average salary of $96,125, which is higher than the $83,428 average annual salary of a planning supervisor.

The top three skills for a material manager include supply chain, logistics and customer service. The most important skills for a planning supervisor are continuous improvement, logistics, and MRP.

Material manager vs planning supervisor overview

	Material Manager	Planning Supervisor
Yearly salary	$96,125	$83,428
Hourly rate	$46.21	$40.11
Growth rate	-6%	-3%
Number of jobs	43,759	18,018
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	47	45
Years of experience	6	2

What does a material manager do?

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.

What does a planning supervisor do?

Planning supervisors are professionals who are responsible for coordinating the health and safety aspects of project design and the initial planning. These supervisors are required to ensure that designers cooperate and comply with their duties, especially in avoiding and reducing risks. They must prepare the health and safety plan before arrangements are made for appointing a principal contractor. Planning supervisors must also provide advice to their clients about the competence and allocation of resources by designers and all contractors.

Material manager vs planning supervisor salary

Material managers and planning supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Material Manager	Planning Supervisor
Average salary	$96,125	$83,428
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $126,000	Between $64,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	Menlo Park, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Meta	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
Best paying industry	Technology	Energy

Differences between material manager and planning supervisor education

There are a few differences between a material manager and a planning supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Material Manager	Planning Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Western Carolina University

Material manager vs planning supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between material managers' and planning supervisors' demographics:

	Material Manager	Planning Supervisor
Average age	47	45
Gender ratio	Male, 77.7% Female, 22.3%	Male, 64.6% Female, 35.4%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between material manager and planning supervisor duties and responsibilities

Material manager example responsibilities.

Implement vendor manage inventory (VMI) programs with three key suppliers.
Improve cash flow and increase OTD through the introduction of vendor consignment and vendor manage inventory programs.
Identify optimal purchasing periods for conducting RFQ's in order to take advantage of peak supply periods.
Expedite and project manage materials, heavy contact with vendors and clients to coordinate shipments of materials.
Manage forecasts, orders, and inventory levels via EDI and customer portals to meet OEM demand.
Manage OEM inventory to meet warranty and customer requirements.

Planning supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage inventories of FDA fine chemicals, glass bottles, caps, labels, and shipping materials.
Develop and manage dual eligible program for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.
Prepare construction schedule in Primavera P6.
Develop expert knowledge in new ERP program, design and deliver training sessions, and develop ISO procedures.
Develop and implement appropriate measurement systems capable of assessing overall logistics performance, inventory turnover, and customer satisfaction.
Control sales orders / forecast vs. commit before and after loading into ERP system.

Material manager vs planning supervisor skills

Common material manager skills

Supply Chain, 12%
Logistics, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Inventory Control, 5%
Materials Management, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 5%

Common planning supervisor skills

Continuous Improvement, 7%
Logistics, 6%
MRP, 5%
Material Planning, 5%
Production Planning, 4%
Strong Analytical, 4%

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Material Manager
Material Manager vs Planning Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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