How to hire a production planner

How to hire a production planner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step production planner hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a production planner job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new production planner
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a production planner do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a production planner, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A production planner's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, production planners from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents production planner salaries for various positions.

   Type of Production Planner	Description	Hourly rate
   Production Planner	Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. They ensure proper scheduling, recordkeeping, and inventory control.	$21-38
   Expeditor	The role of expeditors is to ensure the timely and efficient preparation and delivery of food. To accomplish this task, they also perform other duties, including managing inventory levels, managing supply requisition, and coordinating with subcontractors... Show more	$13-25
   Inventory Control Lead	An Inventory Control Lead oversees supplies in an organization, aiming to meet market demands and avoid oversupply. They perform regular inspections and assessments, review invoices and other documentation, monitor product distribution operations, and produce regular progress reports... Show more	$13-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • MRP
   • ERP
   • Logistics
   • Continuous Improvement
   • On-Time Delivery
   • Purchase Orders
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Customer Orders
   • Material Availability
   • Inventory Control
   • Shop Floor
   • Customer Demand
   • Production Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage large supply base consolidations for both production parts and MRO items.
   • Manage customer accounts from small first time customers to large OEM's.
   • Manage and update inventory plan base on ABC and MTO statistic data.
   • Provide leadership and manage production JCL analyst team supporting and recovering of production job streams.
   • Track managed backlog dollars, OEM, finish product, and make to order specialty products.
   • Supervise NPI chip fulfillment process - manage wafer starts to meet internal qualification and board level build plan.

   More production planner duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your production planner job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A production planner can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, production planners' average salary in wyoming is 52% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level production planners 46% less than senior-level production planners.
   • Certifications. A production planner with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a production planner's salary.

   Average production planner salary

   $60,390yearly

   $29.03 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level production planner salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 16, 2026

   Average production planner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$75,112	$36
   2	Washington	$74,888	$36
   3	Massachusetts	$66,688	$32
   4	New Jersey	$64,268	$31
   5	Maryland	$63,460	$31
   6	Alabama	$62,102	$30
   7	New York	$60,553	$29
   8	Minnesota	$59,410	$29
   9	Ohio	$57,975	$28
   10	Colorado	$56,737	$27
   11	Utah	$56,419	$27
   12	Illinois	$54,400	$26
   13	Arizona	$50,979	$25
   14	Wisconsin	$50,548	$24
   15	Texas	$50,224	$24
   16	Georgia	$48,756	$23
   17	Delaware	$48,042	$23
   18	Florida	$46,606	$22

   Average production planner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Intuitive Surgical	$92,256	$44.35	5
   2	Entegris	$88,703	$42.65	8
   3	KLA	$88,703	$42.65	5
   4	Qorvo	$87,637	$42.13
   5	Astronics	$85,926	$41.31	15
   6	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$83,029	$39.92	5
   7	Genentech	$82,841	$39.83	4
   8	Amphenol	$82,798	$39.81	5
   9	Keysight Technologies	$81,958	$39.40
   10	Empower Media Marketing	$79,846	$38.39
   11	Broadcom	$79,645	$38.29	2
   12	FormFactor	$79,632	$38.28
   13	TechnipFMC	$79,551	$38.25
   14	Waters	$79,273	$38.11	11
   15	Cameron Health	$78,694	$37.83
   16	Mattson Technology	$78,285	$37.64
   17	OmniVision Technologies	$77,741	$37.38
   18	Corning Incorporated	$77,475	$37.25	23
   19	Baker Hughes	$77,017	$37.03	6
   20	Albemarle	$76,741	$36.89

4. Writing a production planner job description

   A production planner job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a production planner job description:

   Production planner job description example

   Company Background:
   Ingredion is a Fortune 500 provider of ingredient solutions that helps nourish, comfort, sustain, and delight people around the world. Ingredion's wide range of ingredient solutions is strategically designed to address changing consumer trends and preferences. Our specialty portfolio includes starch-based texturizers, clean and simple ingredients, plant-based proteins, sugar reduction and specialty sweeteners, and food systems. Our innovative ingredient solutions are used by consumers in everyday products, from foods and beverages to paper and pharmaceuticals. And we do it all in a planet-friendly sustainable manner.
   
   We bring the potential of people, nature, and technology together to make life better.
   That's our purpose. We are all IN to make life better!
   Every day, Ingredion employees bring their skills, creativity, and passion together to deliver ingredient solutions that enhance people's lives. We are innovators who combine the power of technology with the best of nature to delight our customers and consumers. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in ethics, safety, quality, and sustainability. Unlocking the potential of people, nature, and technology to make life better is what drives us in every aspect of our business.
   If you are interested in making life better, we are all IN to learn more about you! A bit about what you can expect from the employee experience at Ingredion:
   The chance to make a difference
   No matter where you work in the company, you'll have an opportunity to make life better… for our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world.
   Passionate people, motivated to excel
   Our highly talented people have a passion for learning and achievement and are driven by our inspiring purpose to make life better and our core values: Care First, Be Preferred, Everyone Belongs, Innovate Boldly, and Owner's Mindset.
   A warm, welcoming environment
   At Ingredion, everyone belongs! We embrace diversity and foster an inclusive work environment where individuals feel supported and enabled to contribute their very best every day.
   A place where you can grow personally and professionally
   We believe everyone has great potential, and we strive to nurture that potential into great personal and professional achievements.
   An environment that enables innovation and collaboration
   We are creating the conditions that inspire and enable innovation - in our products and services, as well as in how we do our work day-to-day.
   
   Core Responsibilities:
   Determine plant production requirements based on Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), open customer orders, and annual production goals.Build weekly production and maintenance schedules to ensure delivery against S&OP production volumes while completing necessary preventive and corrective maintenance. Update and maintain the production planning module in SAP.Monitor product inventories at Mapleton and off-site warehouses and alter production schedules to deliver expected service levels.Facilitate weekly planning and scheduling meetings with the site team.Provide coordination between supply chain, customer service, order coordination, and production.Drive continuous improvement of maintenance plans through evaluation of feedback from completed work.Lead and support RCA's to resolve deviations in planning/scheduling KPIs.
   
   Qualified candidates will have:
   Bachelor's degree or significant relevant work experience Exposure to planning processes used for maintenance and production activities in a complex manufacturing operation Experience collecting data from various sources, organizing and maintaining accurate records and files, and generating reports Knowledge of SAP as it pertains to maintenance and production operations LSS Green Belt or Orange Belt certification a plus Strong written and verbal communication skills
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status
   We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, military status, or disability status.
   
   Relocation Available:
   No

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right production planner for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with production planners they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit production planners who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your production planner job on Zippia to find and recruit production planner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit production planners, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new production planner

   Once you have selected a candidate for the production planner position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new production planner. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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