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The differences between production planners and inventory control leads 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 planner and an inventory control lead. Additionally, a production planner has an average salary of $60,390, which is higher than the $45,155 average annual salary of an inventory control lead.
The top three skills for a production planner include customer service, MRP and ERP. The most important skills for an inventory control lead are logistics, inventory adjustments, and physical inventory.
| Production Planner | Inventory Control Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $60,390 | $45,155 |
| Hourly rate | $29.03 | $21.71 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 68,717 | 50,694 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Production planners or schedulers are employees who take charge of the timeliness and accuracy of the production process. The planners develop production schedules which detail the tasks that need to be done to meet the set completion date. They emphasize the goods and materials necessary in the production phase. It is their job to make sure that the working space is well-maintained for optimal performance. They also manage the flow of information during production.
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. It is their responsibility to address issues and concerns, resolve them promptly, and efficiently maintain smooth workflow operations. Moreover, an Inventory Control Lead manages different teams, encouraging them to reach goals while implementing company policies and guidelines.
Production planners and inventory control leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Planner | Inventory Control Lead | |
| Average salary | $60,390 | $45,155 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $81,000 | Between $28,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | Romeoville, IL |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Intuitive Surgical | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a production planner and an inventory control lead in terms of educational background:
| Production Planner | Inventory Control Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between production planners' and inventory control leads' demographics:
| Production Planner | Inventory Control Lead | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% | Male, 67.9% Female, 32.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.1% White, 60.7% 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, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |