Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between plan administrators and planning managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a plan administrator, becoming a planning manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a planning manager has an average salary of $98,486, which is higher than the $68,435 average annual salary of a plan administrator.
The top three skills for a plan administrator include payroll, HR and plan administration. The most important skills for a planning manager are project management, customer service, and strong analytical.
| Plan Administrator | Planning Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $68,435 | $98,486 |
| Hourly rate | $32.90 | $47.35 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 51,856 | 137,190 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 46 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
A plan administrator's duties depend on their line of work or place of employment. Still, they typically include understanding the client or the project's needs, developing plans, performing research and analysis, liaising with internal and external parties, setting goals, establishing guidelines and timelines, and developing strategies to optimize procedures. They must also respond to issues and concerns, resolving them efficiently. Moreover, as a plan administrator, it is essential to monitor the daily operations and manage staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Planning managers perform various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include planning and monitoring a project or department's budget, production schedule, and inventory, creating reports of new plans, programs, and regulations, and ensuring development proposals comply with requirements and regulations. Additionally, planning managers are expected to serve as an intermediary between developers, government entities, businesses, and communities. They also oversee site plans, rezoning, and special-use permits, set schedules for the project, and supervise other personnel such as developers and consultants.
Plan administrators and planning managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plan Administrator | Planning Manager | |
| Average salary | $68,435 | $98,486 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $103,000 | Between $71,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | ZS |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a plan administrator and a planning manager in terms of educational background:
| Plan Administrator | Planning Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between plan administrators' and planning managers' demographics:
| Plan Administrator | Planning Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.1% Female, 60.9% | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 35% | 10% |