Program planner vs senior program associate

The differences between program planners and senior program associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a program planner, becoming a senior program associate takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a program planner has an average salary of $64,782, which is higher than the $56,190 average annual salary of a senior program associate.

The top three skills for a program planner include program planning, program management and master schedule. The most important skills for a senior program associate are phone calls, program management, and powerpoint.

Program planner vs senior program associate overview

	Program Planner	Senior Program Associate
Yearly salary	$64,782	$56,190
Hourly rate	$31.15	$27.01
Growth rate	4%	8%
Number of jobs	70,996	65,343
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	2	6

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 senior program associate do?

A senior program associate performs a variety of tasks for an organization, including conducting clinical documentation audits, overseeing and approving all treatment and discharge plans, and implementing process improvements. As a senior program associate, you will be responsible for assisting units in developing proposals and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in producing materials such as reports and brochures. In addition, you will also be responsible for preparing and submitting reports on time and working closely with the finance department in developing needed financials.

Program planner vs senior program associate salary

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

	Program Planner	Senior Program Associate
Average salary	$64,782	$56,190
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $84,000	Between $37,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	SMTC	Google
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between program planner and senior program associate education

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

	Program Planner	Senior Program Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

Program planner vs senior program associate demographics

Here are the differences between program planners' and senior program associates' demographics:

	Program Planner	Senior Program Associate
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%	Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7%
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, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	14%

Differences between program planner and senior program associate 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.

Senior program associate example responsibilities.

Conduct daily clinical documentation audits, manage consumer financial accounts, provide oversight and approval for all treatment and discharge planning.
Assist with the logistics of the sessions provide.
Coordinate with other USG and USAID agencies to maximize level of benefits and service provide to the targeted groups.
Coordinate logistics and itineraries for field monitoring missions, internal and external meetings, workshops, and program launching events.
Develop and copyright modular debugging routines in SAS.
Develop PowerPoint presentations for use during program-relate events and activities.

Program planner vs senior program associate 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 senior program associate skills

Phone Calls, 12%
Program Management, 11%
PowerPoint, 8%
Data Collection, 6%
Data Analysis, 6%
Technical Assistance, 4%

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Program Planner
Program Planner vs Senior Program Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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