Service planner vs production controller

The differences between service planners and production controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a service planner and a production controller. Additionally, a service planner has an average salary of $56,421, which is higher than the $53,125 average annual salary of a production controller.

The top three skills for a service planner include customer complaints, data entry and customer service. The most important skills for a production controller are production control, production planning, and logistics.

Service planner vs production controller overview

	Service Planner	Production Controller
Yearly salary	$56,421	$53,125
Hourly rate	$27.13	$25.54
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	15,435	71,747
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a service planner do?

The duties of a service planner depend on their place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities include performing market research and analysis, gathering and analyzing customer data and feedback, liaising with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, establishing guidelines and timelines, and developing strategies to optimize operations. They must also monitor the progress of operations from planning to execution, resolving problems should any arise. Moreover, a service planner usually works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a production controller do?

A production controller is in charge of overseeing manufacturing operations, ensuring the workflow adheres to the quality standards, budgets, and deadlines. It is their duty to develop production and inventory control techniques, coordinate with managers to establish objectives and guidelines, review production plans and job orders, and supervise the supply chain operations. They also monitor every procedure, implement solutions in problem areas, and produce progress reports as needed. Furthermore, as a production controller, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the production team while implementing the company's protocols and policies.

Service planner vs production controller salary

Service planners and production controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Service Planner	Production Controller
Average salary	$56,421	$53,125
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $78,000	Between $37,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	LinkedIn	Intuitive Surgical
Best paying industry	Energy	Technology

Differences between service planner and production controller education

There are a few differences between a service planner and a production controller in terms of educational background:

	Service Planner	Production Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Western Carolina University

Service planner vs production controller demographics

Here are the differences between service planners' and production controllers' demographics:

	Service Planner	Production Controller
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 44.5% Female, 55.5%	Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between service planner and production controller duties and responsibilities

Service planner example responsibilities.

Create budgets, select sites, negotiate contracts, manage logistics, oversee food and beverage, and coordinate vendors
Generate MRP on a monthly basis; run weekly selective MRP to include any addition requirements receive.
Review inventory and plan releases for assign accounts using customer's spreadsheets, EDI or MRP releases.
Generate shop order paperwork including Kanban pull card system and manual shop orders base upon customer demand.
Use of a RF scanner and floor jack.
Assist pickers with picking and RF scanner issues.

Production controller example responsibilities.

Manage multiple windows to access accurate inventory, P.O numbers and job numbers.
Schedule production and manage inventory of raw materials and finish products using the MRP inventory control system.
Manage production order releases base on space, capacity, man power and indenture BOM build schemes.
Provide management with visibility of material shortages, backlogs, manage WIP variances and other potential schedule conflicts.
Manage warehouse and shipping departments, responsible for outsourcing secondary machining of materials, purchasing MRO supplies and logistics.
Flight line expediter ensures maintenance accomplishment and sortie production by managing, controlling and directing allocate resources and personnel.

Service planner vs production controller skills

Common service planner skills

Customer Complaints, 10%
Data Entry, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Delivery Dates, 8%
Purchase Orders, 4%
MRP, 4%

Common production controller skills

Production Control, 28%
Production Planning, 14%
Logistics, 6%
Control Procedures, 5%
Production Schedules, 3%
MRP, 3%

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Service Planner vs Production Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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