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The differences between strategic planners and planer operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a strategic planner, becoming a planer operator takes usually requires 3-6 months. Additionally, a strategic planner has an average salary of $88,718, which is higher than the $46,309 average annual salary of a planer operator.
The top three skills for a strategic planner include project management, DOD and logistics. The most important skills for a planer operator are co-op, project management, and supply chain.
| Strategic Planner | Planer Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $88,718 | $46,309 |
| Hourly rate | $42.65 | $22.26 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 24,228 | 28,742 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
Strategic planners are professionals who participate in the planning of business strategy for medium or large corporations as well as assess their operational and strategic performance. These planners are required to analyze financial and budget reports so that they can make strategic recommendations based on the financial health of the company. Together with the market researchers, these planners must conduct market research so that they can identify threats and opportunities. Strategic planners must also educate their senior executives in making effective decisions by constructing forecasts and analytical models.
Planner operators are individuals tasked to set up and operate power-fed planer or facer machines to size and surface woodstock used in the production of furniture. The operators turn handwheels to make adjustments to table level, feed rolls, and pressure bars based on stock thickness and cut. They sharpen cutters on stone or abrasive wheel. Their duties may also include operating circular saw for Woodstock defect removal and signaling coworker to stop feeding stock into the planer upon jam occurrence.
Strategic planners and planer operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Planner | Planer Operator | |
| Average salary | $88,718 | $46,309 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $126,000 | Between $32,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | - |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a strategic planner and a planer operator in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Planner | Planer Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | - |
Here are the differences between strategic planners' and planer operators' demographics:
| Strategic Planner | Planer Operator | |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 3.4% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 4% |