Production controller vs planning supervisor

The differences between production controllers and planning supervisors 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 controller and a planning supervisor. Additionally, a planning supervisor has an average salary of $83,428, which is higher than the $53,125 average annual salary of a production controller.

The top three skills for a production controller include production control, production planning and logistics. The most important skills for a planning supervisor are continuous improvement, logistics, and MRP.

Production controller vs planning supervisor overview

	Production Controller	Planning Supervisor
Yearly salary	$53,125	$83,428
Hourly rate	$25.54	$40.11
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	71,747	18,018
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a planning supervisor do?

Planning supervisors are professionals who are responsible for coordinating the health and safety aspects of project design and the initial planning. These supervisors are required to ensure that designers cooperate and comply with their duties, especially in avoiding and reducing risks. They must prepare the health and safety plan before arrangements are made for appointing a principal contractor. Planning supervisors must also provide advice to their clients about the competence and allocation of resources by designers and all contractors.

Production controller vs planning supervisor salary

Production controllers and planning supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Controller	Planning Supervisor
Average salary	$53,125	$83,428
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $74,000	Between $64,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
Best paying industry	Technology	Energy

Differences between production controller and planning supervisor education

There are a few differences between a production controller and a planning supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Production Controller	Planning Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Production controller vs planning supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between production controllers' and planning supervisors' demographics:

	Production Controller	Planning Supervisor
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0%	Male, 64.6% Female, 35.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between production controller and planning supervisor duties and responsibilities

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.

Planning supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage inventories of FDA fine chemicals, glass bottles, caps, labels, and shipping materials.
Develop and manage dual eligible program for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.
Prepare construction schedule in Primavera P6.
Develop expert knowledge in new ERP program, design and deliver training sessions, and develop ISO procedures.
Develop and implement appropriate measurement systems capable of assessing overall logistics performance, inventory turnover, and customer satisfaction.
Control sales orders / forecast vs. commit before and after loading into ERP system.

Production controller vs planning supervisor skills

Common production controller skills

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

Common planning supervisor skills

Continuous Improvement, 7%
Logistics, 6%
MRP, 5%
Material Planning, 5%
Production Planning, 4%
Strong Analytical, 4%

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Production Controller
Production Controller vs Planning Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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