Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between planning specialists and logistics associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a planning specialist and a logistics associate. Additionally, a planning specialist has an average salary of $69,170, which is higher than the $36,379 average annual salary of a logistics associate.
The top three skills for a planning specialist include customer service, logistics and project management. The most important skills for a logistics associate are standard operating procedure, cycle counts, and physical inventory.
| Planning Specialist | Logistics Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $69,170 | $36,379 |
| Hourly rate | $33.25 | $17.49 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 31,008 | 16,539 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
As a logistics associate, they assist with the timely distribution, storage, delivery, and inspection of products, both for incoming and outgoing. Logistics associates are needed to manage and maintain the inventory of products and materials. They process incoming and outgoing shipments, inspecting incoming shipments, entering and updating to the digital database for easier tracking. The job of logistics associates can vary based on the types of materials they handle and the environment where they work. They work independently and primarily report to a warehouse or retail manager.
Planning specialists and logistics associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planning Specialist | Logistics Associate | |
| Average salary | $69,170 | $36,379 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $97,000 | Between $28,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Meta | DCP Midstream |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Professional |
There are a few differences between a planning specialist and a logistics associate in terms of educational background:
| Planning Specialist | Logistics Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between planning specialists' and logistics associates' demographics:
| Planning Specialist | Logistics Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% | Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 10.1% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |