Program planner vs business planner

The differences between program planners and business planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a program planner and a business planner. Additionally, a business planner has an average salary of $119,250, which is higher than the $64,782 average annual salary of a program planner.

The top three skills for a program planner include program planning, program management and master schedule. The most important skills for a business planner are data analysis, strong analytical, and financial analysis.

Program planner vs business planner overview

	Program Planner	Business Planner
Yearly salary	$64,782	$119,250
Hourly rate	$31.15	$57.33
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	70,996	60,241
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a business planner do?

A business planner specializes in developing and implementing business plans and procedures. Their job entails conducting extensive research and analyses to identify key business participants, determine the strengths and weaknesses of existing operations, and find new business opportunities. They also perform risk assessments, address potential operational costs, and identify issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Through their research findings, a business planner develops strategies to optimize operations and prevent significant losses when problems arise, helping the company run smoothly and efficiently.

Program planner vs business planner salary

Program planners and business planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Planner	Business Planner
Average salary	$64,782	$119,250
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $84,000	Between $85,000 And $166,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	SMTC	Pacific Gas and Electric
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between program planner and business planner education

There are a few differences between a program planner and a business planner in terms of educational background:

	Program Planner	Business Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Program planner vs business planner demographics

Here are the differences between program planners' and business planners' demographics:

	Program Planner	Business Planner
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%	Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.5% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.5% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between program planner and business planner duties and responsibilities

Program planner example 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.

Business planner example responsibilities.

Manage cost-centers and leverage unique Indian production and post- production capabilities and position the company as a prefer production partner.
Coordinate logistics with multiple carrier partners and multiple distribution centers.
Coordinate raw material logistics, serum manufacturing, gamma irradiation processing and other serum processes with third party contract manufacturers.
Lead monthly and quarterly EAC forecasting and consolidate forecasts in support of corporate financial reporting.

Program planner vs business planner skills

Common program planner skills

Program Planning, 12%
Program Management, 10%
Master Schedule, 9%
Microsoft Project, 9%
Earned Value Management, 8%
Management System, 6%

Common business planner skills

Data Analysis, 10%
Strong Analytical, 8%
Financial Analysis, 8%
Business Plan, 7%
Supply Chain, 6%
Logistics, 6%

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Program Planner
Program Planner vs Business Planner

Updated January 8, 2025

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