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The differences between production control specialists 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 specialist and a production controller. Additionally, a production control specialist has an average salary of $60,387, which is higher than the $53,125 average annual salary of a production controller.
The top three skills for a production control specialist include production control, MRP and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a production controller are production control, production planning, and logistics.
| Production Control Specialist | Production Controller | |
| Yearly salary | $60,387 | $53,125 |
| Hourly rate | $29.03 | $25.54 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 89,320 | 71,747 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
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 specialists and production controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Control Specialist | Production Controller | |
| Average salary | $60,387 | $53,125 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $84,000 | Between $37,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chesapeake, VA | Fremont, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | SQA | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a production control specialist and a production controller in terms of educational background:
| Production Control Specialist | Production Controller | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between production control specialists' and production controllers' demographics:
| Production Control Specialist | Production Controller | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0% |
| 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, 10.1% 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% |