Production control planner vs production controller

The differences between production control planners and production controllers 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 production controller. Additionally, a production control planner has an average salary of $68,783, which is higher than the $53,125 average annual salary of a production controller.

The top three skills for a production control planner include MRP, production control and on-time delivery. The most important skills for a production controller are production control, production planning, and logistics.

Production control planner vs production controller overview

	Production Control Planner	Production Controller
Yearly salary	$68,783	$53,125
Hourly rate	$33.07	$25.54
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	98,958	71,747
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
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 production controller do?

A production controller is in charge of overseeing manufacturing operations, ensuring the workflow adheres to the quality standards, budgets, and deadlines. It is their duty to develop production and inventory control techniques, coordinate with managers to establish objectives and guidelines, review production plans and job orders, and supervise the supply chain operations. They also monitor every procedure, implement solutions in problem areas, and produce progress reports as needed. Furthermore, as a production controller, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the production team while implementing the company's protocols and policies.

Production control planner vs production controller salary

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

	Production Control Planner	Production Controller
Average salary	$68,783	$53,125
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $90,000	Between $37,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Intuitive Surgical
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between production control planner and production controller education

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

	Production Control Planner	Production Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Production control planner vs production controller demographics

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

	Production Control Planner	Production Controller
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0%	Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between production control planner and production controller 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.

Production controller example responsibilities.

Manage multiple windows to access accurate inventory, P.O numbers and job numbers.
Schedule production and manage inventory of raw materials and finish products using the MRP inventory control system.
Manage production order releases base on space, capacity, man power and indenture BOM build schemes.
Provide management with visibility of material shortages, backlogs, manage WIP variances and other potential schedule conflicts.
Manage warehouse and shipping departments, responsible for outsourcing secondary machining of materials, purchasing MRO supplies and logistics.
Flight line expediter ensures maintenance accomplishment and sortie production by managing, controlling and directing allocate resources and personnel.

Production control planner vs production controller skills

Common production control planner skills

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

Common production controller skills

Production Control, 28%
Production Planning, 14%
Logistics, 6%
Control Procedures, 5%
Production Schedules, 3%
MRP, 3%

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Production Control Planner vs Production Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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