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The differences between production control specialists 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 specialist and a materials planner. Additionally, a production control specialist has an average salary of $60,387, which is higher than the $58,467 average annual salary of a materials planner.
The top three skills for a production control specialist include production control, MRP and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a materials planner are supply chain, MRP, and purchase orders.
| Production Control Specialist | Materials Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $60,387 | $58,467 |
| Hourly rate | $29.03 | $28.11 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 89,320 | 23,019 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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 specialists and materials planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Control Specialist | Materials Planner | |
| Average salary | $60,387 | $58,467 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $84,000 | Between $45,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chesapeake, VA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | SQA | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a production control specialist and a materials planner in terms of educational background:
| Production Control Specialist | Materials Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between production control specialists' and materials planners' demographics:
| Production Control Specialist | Materials Planner | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% |
| 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, 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% |