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The differences between materials planners and project planners 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 project planner. Additionally, a project planner has an average salary of $86,926, 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 project planner are project management, project planning, and microsoft project.
| Materials Planner | Project Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $58,467 | $86,926 |
| Hourly rate | $28.11 | $41.79 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 23,019 | 56,558 |
| Job satisfaction | 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 project planner is responsible for determining project management procedures according to business requirements and client specifications. Project planners schedule deliverables of outputs for every milestone to ensure that the team follows the track of guidelines, adhering to the company policies and project plans. They write status reports, conduct cost expenses analysis, and strategize techniques in maximizing the team's productivity and efficiency. A project planner also identifies opportunities to improve project workloads and adjust procedures as necessary to meet the highest goals and objectives.
Materials planners and project planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Planner | Project Planner | |
| Average salary | $58,467 | $86,926 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $74,000 | Between $63,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Davis, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Novo Nordisk |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a materials planner and a project planner in terms of educational background:
| Materials Planner | Project Planner | |
| 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 project planners' demographics:
| Materials Planner | Project Planner | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |