Program planner vs program manager

The differences between program planners and program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a program manager has an average salary of $96,084, 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 program manager are project management, program management, and oversight.

Program planner vs program manager overview

	Program Planner	Program Manager
Yearly salary	$64,782	$96,084
Hourly rate	$31.15	$46.19
Growth rate	4%	12%
Number of jobs	70,996	197,556
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	42	47
Years of experience	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 program manager do?

A program manager is responsible for monitoring the project's progress, improving and developing new strategies, and coordinate various projects across the organization to ensure the success of the business objective. Program managers also manage the program's expenses, ensuring that the projects adhere to the budget goals without compromising the quality and accuracy of the result. A program manager should regularly connect with the different teams of every project under the program to keep track of the processes and procedures for the timely delivery of the product.

Program planner vs program manager salary

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

	Program Planner	Program Manager
Average salary	$64,782	$96,084
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $84,000	Between $65,000 And $141,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	SMTC	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between program planner and program manager education

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

	Program Planner	Program Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Program planner vs program manager demographics

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

	Program Planner	Program Manager
Average age	42	47
Gender ratio	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%	Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1%
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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	13%	10%

Differences between program planner and program manager 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.

Program manager example responsibilities.

Lead managed services provider engagement of onshore and offshore interactive development and QA for pharmaceutical marketing department.
Lead multiple team workshops and initiate RFP proposals.
Manage the work process across projects as per PMI standards.
Develop, manage, and oversee EMBA study abroad in-residencies to Asia.
Manage content updates for all salesforce marketing materials, print and digital.
Manage the service level expectations with client agencies by monitoring and assessment establish KPIs, agreements and contracts.

Program planner vs program manager 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 program manager skills

Project Management, 11%
Program Management, 11%
Oversight, 6%
Customer Service, 4%
Infrastructure, 3%
Excellent Organizational, 3%

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Program Planner
Program Planner vs Program Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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