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The differences between planning managers and planning specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a planning manager, becoming a planning specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a planning manager has an average salary of $98,486, which is higher than the $69,170 average annual salary of a planning specialist.
The top three skills for a planning manager include project management, customer service and strong analytical. The most important skills for a planning specialist are customer service, logistics, and project management.
| Planning Manager | Planning Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $98,486 | $69,170 |
| Hourly rate | $47.35 | $33.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 137,190 | 31,008 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
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.
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 managers and planning specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planning Manager | Planning Specialist | |
| Average salary | $98,486 | $69,170 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $135,000 | Between $49,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Rockville, MD |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | ZS | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a planning manager and a planning specialist in terms of educational background:
| Planning Manager | Planning Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between planning managers' and planning specialists' demographics:
| Planning Manager | Planning Specialist | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 10% | 9% |