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The differences between planning specialists and supply planners 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 supply planner. Additionally, a supply planner has an average salary of $70,602, which is higher than the $69,170 average annual salary of a planning specialist.
The top three skills for a planning specialist include customer service, logistics and project management. The most important skills for a supply planner are supply chain, logistics, and demand planning.
| Planning Specialist | Supply Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $69,170 | $70,602 |
| Hourly rate | $33.25 | $33.94 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 31,008 | 39,798 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
A supply planner is primarily in charge of maintaining a company's inventory of supplies, ensuring all are sufficient and efficient. Their responsibilities revolve around monitoring and counting the inventory, maintaining accurate records, reviewing receipts and other documentation, anticipating product demands, and liaising with vendors and suppliers. Should there be any supply emergencies or issues, one must visit manufacturers or suppliers. There may also be instances where one has to lift products and propose changes in the inventory processes.
Planning specialists and supply planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planning Specialist | Supply Planner | |
| Average salary | $69,170 | $70,602 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $97,000 | Between $48,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a planning specialist and a supply planner in terms of educational background:
| Planning Specialist | Supply Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between planning specialists' and supply planners' demographics:
| Planning Specialist | Supply Planner | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 52.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |