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The differences between production control specialists and material analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a production control specialist, becoming a material analyst takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a material analyst has an average salary of $66,092, which is higher than the $60,387 average annual salary of a production control specialist.
The top three skills for a production control specialist include production control, MRP and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a material analyst are supply chain, logistics, and MRP.
| Production Control Specialist | Material Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $60,387 | $66,092 |
| Hourly rate | $29.03 | $31.77 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 89,320 | 48,758 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
In manufacturing facilities, a production control specialist is in charge of overseeing and coordinating production activities to ensure everything runs efficiently and smoothly from planning to completion. Their responsibilities include understanding the projects' needs, performing research and analysis, setting goals and daily objectives, establishing timelines and guidelines, reviewing documents and plans, conducting risk assessments, and resolving scheduling conflicts should any arise. Moreover, a production control specialist must monitor the daily workflow and assist customers with their orders when necessary.
A materials analyst is responsible for managing the assets and materials of an organization, ensuring the adequacy of office inventories to support business operational functions. Materials analysts identify cost-reduction materials by coordinating with trusted suppliers and third-party vendors. They handle the distribution of goods and order processes according to the company's supply chain management. A materials analyst must have excellent organizational and analytical skills, especially in conducting data and statistical analysis to obtain high-quality materials that would meet the customers' demands.
Production control specialists and material analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Control Specialist | Material Analyst | |
| Average salary | $60,387 | $66,092 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $84,000 | Between $49,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chesapeake, VA | Union City, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | SQA | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a production control specialist and a material analyst in terms of educational background:
| Production Control Specialist | Material Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between production control specialists' and material analysts' demographics:
| Production Control Specialist | Material Analyst | |
| Average age | 45 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |