Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between materials planners and master 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 materials planner and a master scheduler. Additionally, a master scheduler has an average salary of $77,733, which is higher than the $58,467 average annual salary of a materials planner.
The top three skills for a materials planner include supply chain, MRP and purchase orders. The most important skills for a master scheduler are customer service, MRP, and program management.
| Materials Planner | Master Scheduler | |
| Yearly salary | $58,467 | $77,733 |
| Hourly rate | $28.11 | $37.37 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 23,019 | 23,353 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Usually working in a manufacturing setting, a materials planner's role is to manage the supply flow and inventory of materials. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with vendors and other external agencies, processing purchase orders, monitoring the quality of supplies to ensure it is according to the standards, and coordinating with various teams to learn their needs. Furthermore, as a planner, it is essential to devise strategies to resolve any issues, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
A master scheduler is in charge of overseeing and developing a company's overall production schedule, ensuring quality and workforce adherence. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to determine their needs, developing daily schedules and objectives, disseminating scheduling notices, and conducting regular inspections to ensure the completion of projects in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, a master scheduler must produce progress reports and encourage workforce members to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Materials planners and master schedulers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Planner | Master Scheduler | |
| Average salary | $58,467 | $77,733 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $74,000 | Between $59,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Apple | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a materials planner and a master scheduler in terms of educational background:
| Materials Planner | Master Scheduler | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between materials planners' and master schedulers' demographics:
| Materials Planner | Master Scheduler | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% | Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |