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The differences between planning specialists and planer operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a planning specialist, becoming a planer operator takes usually requires 3-6 months. Additionally, a planning specialist has an average salary of $69,170, which is higher than the $46,309 average annual salary of a planer operator.
The top three skills for a planning specialist include customer service, logistics and project management. The most important skills for a planer operator are co-op, project management, and supply chain.
| Planning Specialist | Planer Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $69,170 | $46,309 |
| Hourly rate | $33.25 | $22.26 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 31,008 | 28,742 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| 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.
Planner operators are individuals tasked to set up and operate power-fed planer or facer machines to size and surface woodstock used in the production of furniture. The operators turn handwheels to make adjustments to table level, feed rolls, and pressure bars based on stock thickness and cut. They sharpen cutters on stone or abrasive wheel. Their duties may also include operating circular saw for Woodstock defect removal and signaling coworker to stop feeding stock into the planer upon jam occurrence.
Planning specialists and planer operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planning Specialist | Planer Operator | |
| Average salary | $69,170 | $46,309 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $97,000 | Between $32,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | - |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | - |
| Best paying company | Meta | - |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | - |
There are a few differences between a planning specialist and a planer operator in terms of educational background:
| Planning Specialist | Planer Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between planning specialists' and planer operators' demographics:
| Planning Specialist | Planer Operator | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 3.4% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 4% |