Production control planner vs materials planner

The differences between production control planners 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 planner and a materials planner. Additionally, a production control planner has an average salary of $68,783, which is higher than the $58,467 average annual salary of a materials planner.

The top three skills for a production control planner include MRP, production control and on-time delivery. The most important skills for a materials planner are supply chain, MRP, and purchase orders.

Production control planner vs materials planner overview

	Production Control Planner	Materials Planner
Yearly salary	$68,783	$58,467
Hourly rate	$33.07	$28.11
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	98,958	23,019
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a production control planner do?

Production control planners have the ability to work well with others, analytical thinking, verbal communication, persistence, determination, ambition, and, of course, business management skills. Those who choose this career path will plan production control activities in order to improve runtime while maintaining high quality, cost-effectiveness, and timely delivery. Also, they will work on material planning and analysis for the purposes of reducing the inventory level.

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 planner vs materials planner salary

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

	Production Control Planner	Materials Planner
Average salary	$68,783	$58,467
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $90,000	Between $45,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Apple
Best paying industry	Automotive	Automotive

Differences between production control planner and materials planner education

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

	Production Control Planner	Materials Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Production control planner vs materials planner demographics

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

	Production Control Planner	Materials Planner
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0%	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.2% White, 61.0% 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 planner and materials planner duties and responsibilities

Production control planner example responsibilities.

Coordinate daily materials supply concerns and recommend continuous improvement in the logistics system to achieve optimum materials support to aircraft maintenance.
Plan inventory management techniques (KANBAN) to avoid any shortages and excesses.
Maintain MRP, establish production schedules and staffing base on material availability and analysis of capacity.
Issue KANBAN cards: for the reorder of materials.
Prepare work orders for production and follow work in progress (WIP) through to completion.
Train users on new ERP system, documenting new procedures for users as applicable to their jobs.

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 planner vs materials planner skills

Common production control planner skills

MRP, 10%
Production Control, 9%
On-Time Delivery, 5%
Logistics, 5%
Production Planning, 5%
ERP, 4%

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 Planner vs Materials Planner

Updated January 8, 2025

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