Production planner vs production scheduler

The differences between production planners and production schedulers 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 scheduler. Additionally, a production planner has an average salary of $60,390, which is higher than the $49,367 average annual salary of a production scheduler.

The top three skills for a production planner include customer service, MRP and ERP. The most important skills for a production scheduler are customer service, MRP, and continuous improvement.

Production planner vs production scheduler overview

	Production Planner	Production Scheduler
Yearly salary	$60,390	$49,367
Hourly rate	$29.03	$23.73
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	68,717	64,551
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
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 scheduler do?

A production scheduler is in charge of developing manufacturing schedules to achieve short and long term production goals. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to understand the extent of all procedures, identifying the needs of clients, and devising strategies for optimal operations. They must also monitor the company's resources and workforce to ensure that everything runs smoothly in adherence to all schedules, making changes only when necessary. Furthermore, as a production scheduler, it is essential to encourage the workforce to reach goals and deadlines, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Production planner vs production scheduler salary

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

	Production Planner	Production Scheduler
Average salary	$60,390	$49,367
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $81,000	Between $33,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Newark, CA	Richmond, VA
Highest paying state	Washington	Virginia
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	Amphenol
Best paying industry	Energy	Technology

Differences between production planner and production scheduler education

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

	Production Planner	Production Scheduler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Production planner vs production scheduler demographics

Here are the differences between production planners' and production schedulers' demographics:

	Production Planner	Production Scheduler
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0%	Male, 54.3% Female, 45.7%
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, 16.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between production planner and production scheduler 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 scheduler example responsibilities.

Lead a Kaizen to improve efficiency and reduce non-value add work in the scheduling department.
Manage and purchase all MRO material inventory supplies for the production of automotive safety products.
Design, develop, and manage process of ordering and maintaining materials not migrate into ERP system.
Supervise NPI chip fulfillment process - manage wafer starts to meet internal qualification and board level build plan.
Generate prioritize schedules by manufacturing work centers base on MRP requirements, material availability, and capacity constraints.
Inventory reduction, JIT, OTD ,

Production planner vs production scheduler skills

Common production planner skills

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

Common production scheduler skills

Customer Service, 12%
MRP, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
ERP, 5%
Production Planning, 4%
Lean Manufacturing, 3%

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Production Planner vs Production Scheduler

Updated January 8, 2025

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