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The differences between material managers and supply chain specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a material manager and a supply chain specialist. Additionally, a material manager has an average salary of $96,125, which is higher than the $71,414 average annual salary of a supply chain specialist.
The top three skills for a material manager include supply chain, logistics and customer service. The most important skills for a supply chain specialist are supply chain, logistics, and chain management.
| Material Manager | Supply Chain Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $96,125 | $71,414 |
| Hourly rate | $46.21 | $34.33 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 43,759 | 25,129 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
It is the responsibility of the supply chain specialist to procure materials to manufacture and ship products. The supply chain specialist determines and orders the proper quantities and negotiates pricing and their shipment terms. They oversee the delivery of necessary materials for the fulfillment of orders made by customers. The specialists need to develop strong skills in project management, business ethics, problem-solving, understanding of financial statements, communication skills, and cost accounting skills.
Material managers and supply chain specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Manager | Supply Chain Specialist | |
| Average salary | $96,125 | $71,414 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $126,000 | Between $49,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a material manager and a supply chain specialist in terms of educational background:
| Material Manager | Supply Chain Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between material managers' and supply chain specialists' demographics:
| Material Manager | Supply Chain Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.7% Female, 22.3% | Male, 58.6% Female, 41.4% |
| 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |