Planner/scheduler vs materials planner

The differences between planner/schedulers and materials 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 planner/scheduler and a materials planner. Additionally, a planner/scheduler has an average salary of $71,955, which is higher than the $58,467 average annual salary of a materials planner.

The top three skills for a planner/scheduler include customer service, production schedules and MRP. The most important skills for a materials planner are supply chain, MRP, and purchase orders.

Planner/scheduler vs materials planner overview

	Planner/Scheduler	Materials Planner
Yearly salary	$71,955	$58,467
Hourly rate	$34.59	$28.11
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	22,279	23,019
Job satisfaction	3	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a planner/scheduler do?

The duties of a planner/scheduler depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a manufacturing setting, their responsibilities revolve around creating different schedules for projects, production, releases, contracts, and other deliverables, ensuring everyone's adherence by regular reminders and inspections. Typically, they are also responsible for devising strategies for optimizing operations, coordinating with other skilled professionals to develop controls, maintaining records of all schedules and other necessary documentation, and implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a materials planner do?

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.

Planner/scheduler vs materials planner salary

Planner/schedulers and materials planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Planner/Scheduler	Materials Planner
Average salary	$71,955	$58,467
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $105,000	Between $45,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Alameda, CA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	BP America Inc	Apple
Best paying industry	Energy	Automotive

Differences between planner/scheduler and materials planner education

There are a few differences between a planner/scheduler and a materials planner in terms of educational background:

	Planner/Scheduler	Materials Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Planner/scheduler vs materials planner demographics

Here are the differences between planner/schedulers' and materials planners' demographics:

	Planner/Scheduler	Materials Planner
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between planner/scheduler and materials planner duties and responsibilities

Planner/scheduler example responsibilities.

Review maintenance backlog and identify work to be accomplish along with PMs and assist in establishing priorities.
Design, implement and manage MFCY J2's USG, DOD, Interagency and IC external engagement strategy.
Coordinate and manage high visibility and important customer BOM changes.
Act as interface between sales/project managers, engineering, manufacturing operations, purchasing and inventory control / logistics.
Conduct plant wide safety training per OSHA.
Create detail WBS structures and task charge numbers assign budgets.

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Materials planner example 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.
Maintain and setup supplier pull systems (KANBAN).
Key team member in planning, training, implementation, and support of a new ERP system.

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Planner/scheduler vs materials planner skills

Common planner/scheduler skills

Customer Service, 9%
Production Schedules, 5%
MRP, 5%
Preventive Maintenance, 4%
CMMS, 4%
Logistics, 4%

Common materials planner skills

Supply Chain, 12%
MRP, 8%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Logistics, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Material Planning, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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