Production planner vs production planning manager

The differences between production planners and production planning managers 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 a production planning manager. Additionally, a production planning manager has an average salary of $88,015, 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 production planning manager are MRP, continuous improvement, and ERP.

Production planner vs production planning manager overview

	Production Planner	Production Planning Manager
Yearly salary	$60,390	$88,015
Hourly rate	$29.03	$42.31
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	68,717	68,989
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a production planner do?

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.

What does a production planning manager do?

A production planning manager is in charge of developing production plans in adherence to the company's budget and deadlines. It is their duty to identify the production needs and set objectives and guidelines that would usher employees into achieving a smooth and efficient workflow. They must also monitor the progress of daily production operations, resolving issues when they arise. Furthermore, as a production planning manager, it is essential to lead and encourage employees to meet production goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Production planner vs production planning manager salary

Production planners and production planning managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Planner	Production Planning Manager
Average salary	$60,390	$88,015
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $81,000	Between $63,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	Newark, CA	Menlo Park, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	Texas Instruments
Best paying industry	Energy	Manufacturing

Differences between production planner and production planning manager education

There are a few differences between a production planner and a production planning manager in terms of educational background:

	Production Planner	Production Planning Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Production planner vs production planning manager demographics

Here are the differences between production planners' and production planning managers' demographics:

	Production Planner	Production Planning Manager
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0%	Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2%
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, 10.1% 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%

Differences between production planner and production planning manager duties and responsibilities

Production planner example 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.

Production planning manager example responsibilities.

Conduct a periodic audit of production WIP and ensure set targets are achieve.
Lead project team that own the supply chain implementation / transition from legacy ERP system to BPCS.
Manage and reduce inventory by deploying Kanban, consign and vendor-manage inventory.
Create and maintain ISO procedures.
Maintain WIP inventory in accordance with demand.
Assist engineering with correcting BOM deficiencies and cost outs.

Production planner vs production planning manager skills

Common production planner skills

Customer Service, 11%
MRP, 9%
ERP, 5%
Logistics, 4%
Continuous Improvement, 4%
On-Time Delivery, 4%

Common production planning manager skills

MRP, 8%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
ERP, 6%
Logistics, 6%
Inventory Control, 5%
Lean Manufacturing, 4%

Production Planner vs. similar jobs

Production Planner related careers

Production Planner related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Production Planner
Production Planner vs Production Planning Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs