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The differences between production planners and product developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a production planner, becoming a product developer takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product developer has an average salary of $88,629, which is higher than the $60,390 average annual salary of a production planner.
The top three skills for a production planner include customer service, MRP and ERP. The most important skills for a product developer are product development, R, and develop user.
| Production Planner | Product Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,390 | $88,629 |
| Hourly rate | $29.03 | $42.61 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 68,717 | 147,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 10 |
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.
A product developer is responsible for creating the designs of an industrial product based on the client's specifications and budget requirements. Product developers work closely with the whole design team to strategize and execute plans within the agreed timeframe. Product developers must be updated with the current industry trends, developing designs that would be competitive in the market, boosting the company's brand image to attract potential clients, and generate more revenues. A product developer should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as utilizing various software tools to create high-quality designs.
Production planners and product developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Planner | Product Developer | |
| Average salary | $60,390 | $88,629 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $81,000 | Between $63,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Intuitive Surgical | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a production planner and a product developer in terms of educational background:
| Production Planner | Product Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between production planners' and product developers' demographics:
| Production Planner | Product Developer | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% |
| 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, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |