Production control clerk vs materials planner

The differences between production control clerks and materials planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a production control clerk and a materials planner. Additionally, a materials planner has an average salary of $58,467, which is higher than the $36,983 average annual salary of a production control clerk.

The top three skills for a production control clerk include data entry, production reports and customer orders. The most important skills for a materials planner are supply chain, MRP, and purchase orders.

Production control clerk vs materials planner overview

	Production Control Clerk	Materials Planner
Yearly salary	$36,983	$58,467
Hourly rate	$17.78	$28.11
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	150,965	23,019
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a production control clerk do?

Production control clerks will need to possess skills in data, entry, drafting customer supports and orders, dealing with production workers, and handling material inventory records. Also, clerical skills are a plus. This career calls for the reviewing and distribution of production work and shipment schedules, conferring with department supervisors on work progress and dates of completion, as well as the compilation of work progress reports, inventory levels, costs, and any issues in production.

What does a materials planner do?

Usually working in a manufacturing setting, a materials planner's role is to manage the supply flow and inventory of materials. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with vendors and other external agencies, processing purchase orders, monitoring the quality of supplies to ensure it is according to the standards, and coordinating with various teams to learn their needs. Furthermore, as a planner, it is essential to devise strategies to resolve any issues, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.

Production control clerk vs materials planner salary

Production control clerks and materials planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Control Clerk	Materials Planner
Average salary	$36,983	$58,467
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $51,000	Between $45,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Harrisburg, PA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	California
Best paying company	Fortive	Apple
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Automotive

Differences between production control clerk and materials planner education

There are a few differences between a production control clerk and a materials planner in terms of educational background:

	Production Control Clerk	Materials Planner
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Production control clerk vs materials planner demographics

Here are the differences between production control clerks' and materials planners' demographics:

	Production Control Clerk	Materials Planner
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3%	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between production control clerk and materials planner duties and responsibilities

Production control clerk example responsibilities.

Manage warehouse and shipping departments, responsible for outsourcing secondary machining of materials, purchasing MRO supplies and logistics.
Create shippers and labels, manually or electronically in EDI.
Operate CNC Router/Engraver to produce ADA compliant signs, plaques.
Receive and process order information from customers via e-mail and EDI.
Assist in the setup & programming of CNC machines for production.
Research, recommend, set up and maintain the company's new ERP system.

Materials planner example responsibilities.

Develop and implement purchasing and contract management, policies and procedures and manage ISO documents and improvements.
Determine material and component requirements base on the MRP system and ensure availability to support production schedules.
Monitor MRP forecasts, inventory, customer demand, production requirements, inventory transactions and reject material.
Create and maintain MRP classification codes in addition to reviewing BOM accuracy to ensure correct component identification, ordering and release.
Maintain and setup supplier pull systems (KANBAN).
Key team member in planning, training, implementation, and support of a new ERP system.

Production control clerk vs materials planner skills

Common production control clerk skills

Data Entry, 11%
Production Reports, 11%
Customer Orders, 10%
Production Sheets, 9%
Product Specifications, 8%
Logistics, 7%

Common materials planner skills

Supply Chain, 12%
MRP, 8%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Logistics, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Material Planning, 5%

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Production Control Clerk
Production Control Clerk vs Materials Planner

Updated January 8, 2025

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