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The differences between senior category managers and planning managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a senior category manager and a planning manager. Additionally, a senior category manager has an average salary of $116,590, which is higher than the $98,486 average annual salary of a planning manager.
The top three skills for a senior category manager include category strategy, project management and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a planning manager are project management, customer service, and strong analytical.
| Senior Category Manager | Planning Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $116,590 | $98,486 |
| Hourly rate | $56.05 | $47.35 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 66,599 | 137,190 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
In a retail setting, a senior category manager is in charge of devising strategies to market different product categories. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with other departments to gather necessary data, performing market research and analysis to find new business opportunities, identifying the needs of consumers, and keeping abreast of the latest trends. Furthermore, as a senior category manager, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior category managers, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Planning managers perform various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include planning and monitoring a project or department's budget, production schedule, and inventory, creating reports of new plans, programs, and regulations, and ensuring development proposals comply with requirements and regulations. Additionally, planning managers are expected to serve as an intermediary between developers, government entities, businesses, and communities. They also oversee site plans, rezoning, and special-use permits, set schedules for the project, and supervise other personnel such as developers and consultants.
Senior category managers and planning managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Category Manager | Planning Manager | |
| Average salary | $116,590 | $98,486 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $162,000 | Between $71,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Devon Energy | ZS |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior category manager and a planning manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Category Manager | Planning Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between senior category managers' and planning managers' demographics:
| Senior Category Manager | Planning Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4% | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |