Senior production planner vs project planner

The differences between senior production planners and project 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 project planner. Additionally, a project planner has an average salary of $86,926, which is higher than the $81,198 average annual salary of a senior production planner.

The top three skills for a senior production planner include production planning, ERP and logistics. The most important skills for a project planner are project management, project planning, and microsoft project.

Senior production planner vs project planner overview

	Senior Production Planner	Project Planner
Yearly salary	$81,198	$86,926
Hourly rate	$39.04	$41.79
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	67,432	56,558
Job satisfaction	-	-
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 project planner do?

A project planner is responsible for determining project management procedures according to business requirements and client specifications. Project planners schedule deliverables of outputs for every milestone to ensure that the team follows the track of guidelines, adhering to the company policies and project plans. They write status reports, conduct cost expenses analysis, and strategize techniques in maximizing the team's productivity and efficiency. A project planner also identifies opportunities to improve project workloads and adjust procedures as necessary to meet the highest goals and objectives.

Senior production planner vs project planner salary

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

	Senior Production Planner	Project Planner
Average salary	$81,198	$86,926
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $102,000	Between $63,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Davis, CA
Highest paying state	Idaho	California
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	Novo Nordisk
Best paying industry	Health Care	Hospitality

Differences between senior production planner and project planner education

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

	Senior Production Planner	Project Planner
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 project planner demographics

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

	Senior Production Planner	Project Planner
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 66.9% Female, 33.1%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between senior production planner and project 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.

Project planner example responsibilities.

Utilize SharePoint and manage content to display and capture progress report information.
Manage logistics of all facets of the transition from housing, moving, inter-service agreements and education.
Manage event day logistics, including staging, set-up and strike; adherence to event schedule, and guest hospitality.
Follow EPC projects from the engineering office to the construction site to manage the execution and performance of the construction effort.
Manage retrofit projects for progressive stamping equipment.
Experience with CMMS (maximo), including writing job plans and pm's.

Senior production planner vs project planner skills

Common senior production planner skills

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

Common project planner skills

Project Management, 20%
Project Planning, 8%
Microsoft Project, 4%
Project Scope, 4%
Primavera P6, 4%
Project Controls, 3%

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Senior Production Planner vs Project Planner

Updated January 8, 2025

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