How To Become A Materials Planner: What It Is and Career Path

What is a materials planner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A materials planner is someone responsible for coordinating and managing the supply of raw materials, components, and finished products within a company. They work closely with production teams to ensure that materials are available when needed and to avoid shortages or excess inventory. Materials planners also monitor inventory levels and negotiate contracts to ensure that the company receives high-quality materials. Overall, they play a critical role in ensuring that a company operates efficiently and effectively.

ScoreMaterials PlannerUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $58,467

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.8

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.53%

Asian 7.01%

Black or African American 10.18%

Hispanic or Latino 16.82%

Unknown 4.91%

White 60.55%

Gender

female 47.29%

male 52.71%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a materials planner?

Pros

Opportunity to work with a wide range of stakeholders
Good salary prospects
High level of job security
Continuous learning and development opportunities
Chance to make a real impact on the business

Cons

High levels of stress associated with constantly changing demands and deadlines
Long working hours, including weekends and evenings
Difficult to balance work and personal life
High level of responsibility, often with little room for error
Can be monotonous or repetitive at times

Key steps to become a materials planner

Explore materials planner education requirements

Most common materials planner degrees

Bachelor's

65.3 %

Associate

18.1 %

Master's

7.5 %

Start to develop specific materials planner skills

Skills	Percentages
Supply Chain	11.86%
MRP	7.69%
Purchase Orders	5.43%
Logistics	5.20%
Customer Service	5.10%

Complete relevant materials planner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New materials planners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a materials planner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real materials planner resumes.

Gain additional materials planner certifications

Materials planner certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific materials planner certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for materials planners include Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and Certified Planning Engineer (CPE).

More About Certifications

Research materials planner duties and responsibilities

Develop and implement purchasing and contract management, policies and procedures and manage ISO documents and improvements.
Determine material and component requirements base on the MRP system and ensure availability to support production schedules.
Monitor MRP forecasts, inventory, customer demand, production requirements, inventory transactions and reject material.
Create and maintain MRP classification codes in addition to reviewing BOM accuracy to ensure correct component identification, ordering and release.

Prepare your materials planner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your materials planner resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a materials planner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable materials planner resume templates

Build a professional materials planner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your materials planner resume.