Senior production planner vs materials planner

The differences between senior production planners and materials 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 senior production planner and a materials planner. Additionally, a senior production planner has an average salary of $81,198, which is higher than the $58,467 average annual salary of a materials planner.

The top three skills for a senior production planner include production planning, ERP and logistics. The most important skills for a materials planner are supply chain, MRP, and purchase orders.

Senior production planner vs materials planner overview

	Senior Production Planner	Materials Planner
Yearly salary	$81,198	$58,467
Hourly rate	$39.04	$28.11
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	67,432	23,019
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
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 materials planner do?

Usually working in a manufacturing setting, a materials planner's role is to manage the supply flow and inventory of materials. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with vendors and other external agencies, processing purchase orders, monitoring the quality of supplies to ensure it is according to the standards, and coordinating with various teams to learn their needs. Furthermore, as a planner, it is essential to devise strategies to resolve any issues, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.

Senior production planner vs materials planner salary

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

	Senior Production Planner	Materials Planner
Average salary	$81,198	$58,467
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $102,000	Between $45,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	Idaho	California
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	Apple
Best paying industry	Health Care	Automotive

Differences between senior production planner and materials planner education

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

	Senior Production Planner	Materials Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Senior production planner vs materials planner demographics

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

	Senior Production Planner	Materials Planner
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 66.9% Female, 33.1%	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between senior production planner and materials planner 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.

Materials planner example responsibilities.

Develop and implement purchasing and contract management, policies and procedures and manage ISO documents and improvements.
Determine material and component requirements base on the MRP system and ensure availability to support production schedules.
Monitor MRP forecasts, inventory, customer demand, production requirements, inventory transactions and reject material.
Create and maintain MRP classification codes in addition to reviewing BOM accuracy to ensure correct component identification, ordering and release.
Maintain and setup supplier pull systems (KANBAN).
Key team member in planning, training, implementation, and support of a new ERP system.

Senior production planner vs materials planner skills

Common senior production planner skills

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

Common materials planner skills

Supply Chain, 12%
MRP, 8%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Logistics, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Material Planning, 5%

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Senior Production Planner vs Materials Planner

Updated January 8, 2025

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