Materials planning manager vs purchasing manager

The differences between materials planning managers and purchasing managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a materials planning manager and a purchasing manager. Additionally, a purchasing manager has an average salary of $98,118, which is higher than the $95,361 average annual salary of a materials planning manager.

The top three skills for a materials planning manager include material planning, logistics and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a purchasing manager are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and project management.

Materials planning manager vs purchasing manager overview

	Materials Planning Manager	Purchasing Manager
Yearly salary	$95,361	$98,118
Hourly rate	$45.85	$47.17
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	32,967	30,430
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a materials planning manager do?

Materials planning managers are management professionals who are responsible for developing material planning processes to enable operational and production continuity in a manufacturing firm. These managers must ensure that the supply of materials is available so that they can meet and satisfy production requirements. They must manage and develop a team that meets objectives and delivers best practice results and continuous improvements. Material planning managers must also collaborate with the purchasing team to evaluate the performance of suppliers and provide resolution about their concerns.

What does a purchasing manager do?

A purchasing manager is responsible for organizing and managing products to order or sell. Purchasing managers review product specifications, negotiate pricing details with the vendors, evaluate and choose the best suppliers, and assist purchasing agents. Purchase managers are also responsible for resolving order processing issues and analyzing current market trends to determine which products to purchase. A purchasing manager must have excellent decision-making and strategical skills to examine effects, inspect defective items, and create an in-depth analysis of customers' needs to improve their performance and sales.

Materials planning manager vs purchasing manager salary

Materials planning managers and purchasing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Materials Planning Manager	Purchasing Manager
Average salary	$95,361	$98,118
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $124,000	Between $70,000 And $136,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Richmond, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Maine
Best paying company	Fitbit	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between materials planning manager and purchasing manager education

There are a few differences between a materials planning manager and a purchasing manager in terms of educational background:

	Materials Planning Manager	Purchasing Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Materials planning manager vs purchasing manager demographics

Here are the differences between materials planning managers' and purchasing managers' demographics:

	Materials Planning Manager	Purchasing Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%	Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between materials planning manager and purchasing manager duties and responsibilities

Materials planning manager example responsibilities.

Manage both domestic and international logistics to support just in time production environment.
Support successful ISO 9002 plant certification process
Represent department during ISO certification drive and subsequent audits.
Demonstrate logistics expertise by identifying and researching inventory and production issues, and promptly devising a plan for resolution.
Direct all in-house manufacturing/machining work orders and processing from engineering BOM release through post machining processes by coordinating with machining manager.
Direct process and production improvement activities in an FDA regulate work environment.

Purchasing manager example responsibilities.

Manage payroll and accounts payable.
Lead major purchasing projects for automotive OEM vehicles.
Used RFI, RFP, RFQ techniques to identify, select, and engage with suppliers to ensure competitive market advantage.
Establish an integrate MRO supply program which eliminate specific company manage buying, inventory control and warehousing functions.
Manage all procurement activities to support manufacturing operations including raw materials, tooling, components and MRO services.
Manage several indirect sourcing RFP projects including categories for translation services, payroll services, capital equipment and engineering services.

Materials planning manager vs purchasing manager skills

Common materials planning manager skills

Material Planning, 7%
Logistics, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
Inventory Control, 5%
Materials Management, 5%
On-Time Delivery, 5%

Common purchasing manager skills

Supply Chain, 15%
Strategic Sourcing, 7%
Project Management, 5%
Supplier Performance, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 4%
Purchase Orders, 4%

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Materials Planning Manager
Materials Planning Manager vs Purchasing Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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