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The differences between planning analysts and planning specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a planning analyst, becoming a planning specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a planning specialist has an average salary of $69,170, which is higher than the $68,137 average annual salary of a planning analyst.
The top three skills for a planning analyst include project management, customer service and data analysis. The most important skills for a planning specialist are customer service, logistics, and project management.
| Planning Analyst | Planning Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $68,137 | $69,170 |
| Hourly rate | $32.76 | $33.25 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 92,380 | 31,008 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
As a planning analyst, you will be responsible for designing and implementing a company's business and marketing strategies with the goal of driving profits and reducing costs. You will propose measures to enhance an organization's overall efficiency, and guide managers on ways to strengthen profit margins through risk awareness reduced costs, and increased revenues. Other duties include conducting risk analyses to identify areas of potential failure, maintaining the business continuity program, and handling internal and external corporate communications with the investment community and industry analysts.
A planning specialist is responsible for monitoring the project management procedures of an organization's operations, ensuring that the team meets budget goals and deadline deliverables. Planning specialists coordinate with suppliers and other third-party vendors for materials needed in the operations, as well as inspecting the efficiency and performance of equipment to prevent delays. They also manage the team's adherence to production schedule, task delegations, and output deliveries. A planning specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing progress reports and performing other related administrative duties.
Planning analysts and planning specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planning Analyst | Planning Specialist | |
| Average salary | $68,137 | $69,170 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $93,000 | Between $49,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Rockville, MD |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a planning analyst and a planning specialist in terms of educational background:
| Planning Analyst | Planning Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between planning analysts' and planning specialists' demographics:
| Planning Analyst | Planning Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 11.3% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 9% |