Senior production planner vs master scheduler

The differences between senior production planners and master schedulers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a senior production planner and a master scheduler. Additionally, a senior production planner has an average salary of $81,198, which is higher than the $77,733 average annual salary of a master scheduler.

The top three skills for a senior production planner include production planning, ERP and logistics. The most important skills for a master scheduler are customer service, MRP, and program management.

Senior production planner vs master scheduler overview

	Senior Production Planner	Master Scheduler
Yearly salary	$81,198	$77,733
Hourly rate	$39.04	$37.37
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	67,432	23,353
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a senior production planner do?

Senior production planners decide on items to be manufactured and their quantities based on carefully researched consumer demand forecasts. The production planners analyze data to revise staff schedules to reach the agreed quota in the manufacturing process. They find solutions for internal material concerns like quality checking and transfer issues. Also, they make sure that the products at the end of the manufacturing phase pass their quality standards.

What does a master scheduler do?

A master scheduler is in charge of overseeing and developing a company's overall production schedule, ensuring quality and workforce adherence. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to determine their needs, developing daily schedules and objectives, disseminating scheduling notices, and conducting regular inspections to ensure the completion of projects in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, a master scheduler must produce progress reports and encourage workforce members to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Senior production planner vs master scheduler salary

Senior production planners and master schedulers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Production Planner	Master Scheduler
Average salary	$81,198	$77,733
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $102,000	Between $59,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	Idaho	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	NVIDIA
Best paying industry	Health Care	Energy

Differences between senior production planner and master scheduler education

There are a few differences between a senior production planner and a master scheduler in terms of educational background:

	Senior Production Planner	Master Scheduler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Senior production planner vs master scheduler demographics

Here are the differences between senior production planners' and master schedulers' demographics:

	Senior Production Planner	Master Scheduler
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 66.9% Female, 33.1%	Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 7.2% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between senior production planner and master scheduler duties and responsibilities

Senior production planner example responsibilities.

Manage forecast product as required by customer needs, including VMI and KANBAN programs.
Manage cost effective inventory levels for purchase & manufacture assemblies through ERP maintenance of WIP, safety stock & lead-time settings.
Set up reverse logistics supply chain to manage customer returns enabling timely replacement or repair to customers satisfying contractual agreements.
Manage customer requirements including factory schedules/production, planning and order integrity by directing manufacturing and logistics to optimize supply chain availability.
Reconcile inventory and make sure the allocated inventory is flushed out against work orders in process (WIP).
Perform key tasks, including BOM accuracy and shipment of materials that enable successful transfer of tools to volume manufacturing.

Master scheduler example responsibilities.

Supervise NPI chip fulfillment process - manage wafer starts to meet internal qualification and board level build plan.
Facilitate production release of drawings, bills of materials, and QC specs.
Coordinate the flow of machine and electronic parts through the production process including QC.
Experience with the engineering change order (ECO) process including documentation and documentation control.
Create BOM's, standardize part numbers, and standardize part descriptions in the MRP software.
Develop, coordinate, and maintain CPM and EVM cost loaded schedules for various BRPH customers.

Senior production planner vs master scheduler skills

Common senior production planner skills

Production Planning, 5%
ERP, 5%
Logistics, 4%
Lean Manufacturing, 4%
Capacity Constraints, 4%
Purchase Orders, 4%

Common master scheduler skills

Customer Service, 8%
MRP, 6%
Program Management, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
Microsoft Project, 4%
ERP, 4%

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Senior Production Planner vs Master Scheduler

Updated January 8, 2025

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