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How to hire a program planner

Program planner hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring program planners in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a program planner is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new program planner to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a program planner, step by step

To hire a program planner, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a program planner:

Here's a step-by-step program 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 program planner job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new program planner
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a program planner do?

A program planner is responsible for facilitating and developing program agendas according to business requirements and specifications. Program planners manage program activities by following budget limitations, identifying resources, and finalizing the total count of participants. They also coordinate with professional event planners for recovery solutions should any issues arise. A program planner must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in updating the program manager of updates and plan adjustments as needed to achieve program goals and objectives.

Learn more about the specifics of what a program planner does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The program planner hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a program planner to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a program planner that fits the bill.

    This list shows salaries for various types of program planners.

    Type of Program PlannerDescriptionHourly rate
    Program PlannerUrban and regional planners develop land use plans and programs that help create communities, accommodate population growth, and revitalize physical facilities in towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.$23-40
    Urban Design ConsultantAn urban design consultant is in charge of many projects, and so they have to oversee tasks and plan assignments. They are skilled in creating interior design solutions, space planning, sketching, and product selection... Show more$24-37
    Planning InternshipWhen it comes to planning an internship, an intern's duties will depend on the directives of supervising staff or a manager. Typically, an intern's responsibilities will revolve around performing clerical tasks such as processing documents, producing reports and presentations, responding to calls and correspondence, and managing schedules... Show more$12-20
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Program Planning
    • Program Management
    • Master Schedule
    • Microsoft Project
    • Earned Value Management
    • Management System
    • IMS
    • Master Plan
    • Risk Analysis
    • Critical Path Analysis
    • DOD
    • Project Management
    • Schedule Integration
    • Variance Analysis
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Create and manage integrated master project plans with detail WBS structures.
    • Manage part parameters in order to run MRP effectively to maintain a continuous supply chain at the targeted inventory levels.
    • Display excellent leadership skills in directing the performance of the IPT leads and integrate program level performance for program monthly reviews.
    • Conduct intensive interfacing with engineering and IPT leads to analyze complex schedules and develop viable action plans for scheduling risk mitigation.
    • Develop and manage the SharePoint database.
    • Resolve issues regarding logistics, repair cycles, materials returns and cross-contamination; manage all supply-chain relate escalated issues.
    More program planner duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your program planner job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A program planner salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a program planner in Indiana may be lower than in California, and an entry-level program planner usually earns less than a senior-level program planner. Additionally, a program planner with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average program planner salary

    $64,782yearly

    $31.15 hourly rate

    Entry-level program planner salary
    $49,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 5, 2025

    Average program planner salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$80,920$39
    2New York$69,601$33
    3Massachusetts$69,594$33
    4Connecticut$69,061$33
    5New Jersey$68,416$33
    6Colorado$68,203$33
    7Minnesota$67,705$33
    8Maryland$67,486$32
    9Virginia$66,182$32
    10Arizona$63,414$30
    11Washington$62,271$30
    12Oklahoma$60,196$29
    13Alabama$58,300$28
    14Iowa$56,644$27
    15Florida$56,235$27
    16Texas$56,043$27
    17New Hampshire$55,987$27
    18South Carolina$55,300$27

    Average program planner salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1SMTC$91,041$43.77
    2Pinnacle West Capital$89,667$43.111
    3Arizona Public Service$76,493$36.78
    4Yale University$74,429$35.7810
    5Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.$72,830$35.01
    6El Centro Del Barrio$71,068$34.17
    7Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County$69,988$33.65
    8Torch Technologies$69,870$33.592
    9Lockheed Martin$68,932$33.14209
    10Cenergy International Services$68,501$32.93
    11Eversource Energy$68,473$32.9215
    12By Light Professional IT Services$67,543$32.47
    13University of Colorado Boulder$67,275$32.34
    14University of Colorado$66,974$32.2040
    15Paragon Space Development$66,363$31.917
    16Blue Origin$66,198$31.8327
    17Raytheon Technologies$66,157$31.8190
    18Boeing$66,149$31.8074
    19HKA Enterprises$66,069$31.76
    20Washington State University$65,947$31.712
  4. Writing a program planner job description

    A program 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 program planner job description:

    Program planner job description example

    SMTC Corporation was founded in 1985. SMTC is a mid-size provider of end-to-end electronics manufacturing services (EMS) including PCBA production, systems integration and comprehensive testing services, enclosure fabrication, as well as product design, sustaining engineering and supply chain management services. SMTC has facilities in the United States, Mexico, China and Canada. Services extend over the entire electronic product life cycle from the development and introduction of new products through to the growth, maturity and end-of-life phases.


    Benefits Highlights:

    *401K with company match

    *PTO, Paid Holidays

    *Tuition Reimbursement

    *Medical HRA Plan

    *Short term/Long term Disability Insurance, etc.



    As a Planner the primary responsibility is to drive work orders and coordinate the execution with in factory. In addition, responsible for ensuring timely delivery of material to manufacturing in concert with the production schedule.

    • Coordinate and monitor the release of work orders to support both internal and external demand while efficiently utilizing materials and capacity.

    • Manage MRP to ensure timely availability of materials as well as lot size efficiencies.

    • Provide ship date information to management as required.

    • Identify material issues impacting product schedules.

    • Prepare reports to communicate sales order status, production issues, and inventory analysis.

    • Interface between Procurement and Engineering to assure that Engineering changes and new product releases are recognized and necessary adjustments are made.

    • Process all orders and demand changes in MRP. Communicate impacts to the business plan to the Planning Manager, Supply Chain, Scheduling and Management as needed.

    • Supports Program Manager in communicating and reconciling customer issues.

    • Monitors, analyzes and reports all status and hindrances to the delivery schedule.

    • Provide support and direction as needed to the Production Control Supervisor and Production Supervisor for all wip orders to ensure product is complete and/or shipped per schedule.

    • Provide priorities for procurement on critical shortages impeding on time material availability and kit drop. Escalate to cross functional and management as needed.

    • Complete New Product Introduction (NPI) requirements. Review bill of material structure and suggest needed changes to Engineering determined to ensure optimal flow of material for production build.

    • Ensure NPI readiness for all departments and provide direction and priority per the Production Schedule.

    • Initiate replacement orders for lost, damaged, discrepant items or adjust sales orders as discussed with Program Manager.

    • Analyze MRP to determine can builds, “what ifs”, change impacts, work a rounds. Communicate with Scheduling, Procurement, Program Management, and Management as needed to meet the production schedule and customer needs.

    • Support Quick Turn / Expedite opportunities for internal and external customers.

    • Perform other duties as assigned.




    Education and Experience for the Planner:

    • Minimum of Associate Degree and two (2) years of specialized training preferred

    • Minimum 2-5 years planning, production manufacturing or scheduling experience.

    • Experience with Purchasing/Materials/Operations processes and tools.

    • Strong decision making skills and ability to communicate clearly and in a manner that supports the business.

    • Must be a self-starter with high initiative, embodying a sense of urgency to achieve goals and objectives.

    • Must have excellent time management and organization skills.

    • Ability to manage multiple objectives and priorities concurrently.

    • Excellent verbal and written communications skills.




    SMTC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or other protected status.


    If you require assistance completing this application due to a disability, please contact Human Resources to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.


  5. Post your job

    To find the right program 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 program planners they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit program 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 program planner job on Zippia to find and recruit program planner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit program planners, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

    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 program planner

    Once you've found the program planner candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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How much does it cost to hire a program planner?

Hiring a program planner comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting program planners involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of program planner recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

The median annual salary for program planners is $64,782 in the US. However, the cost of program planner hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a program planner for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $23 and $40 an hour.

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