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The differences between product planners and planner/buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a product planner, becoming a planner/buyer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a product planner has an average salary of $94,669, which is higher than the $54,261 average annual salary of a planner/buyer.
The top three skills for a product planner include product development, product planning and product line. The most important skills for a planner/buyer are supply chain, purchase orders, and customer service.
| Product Planner | Planner/Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,669 | $54,261 |
| Hourly rate | $45.51 | $26.09 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 85,346 | 33,452 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Product planner positions require a battery of skills, including decisiveness, stress management, leadership, organization, communication, statistics, business operations, computer literacy, and problem-solving, to name a few. Those who choose this career will be required to involve internally-focused decisions, steps, and tasks necessary to develop a successful product.
The role of buyers/planners is to ensure that office materials and equipment are well-supplied within their organization. They decide and purchase the materials needed for use or resale by their organization. They are responsible for evaluating prospective suppliers based on their cost, product quality, and delivery times. They are also the ones who negotiate contracts specifying the payment terms, price, and delivery schedules. Most employers prefer their buyer to have earned a bachelor's degree with a major in operations management or business management.
Product planners and planner/buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Planner | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average salary | $94,669 | $54,261 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $124,000 | Between $37,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Apple | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product planner and a planner/buyer in terms of educational background:
| Product Planner | Planner/Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between product planners' and planner/buyers' demographics:
| Product Planner | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average age | 45 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8% | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |