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The differences between strategic planners and senior planners 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 senior planner takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a strategic planner has an average salary of $88,718, which is higher than the $73,327 average annual salary of a senior planner.
The top three skills for a strategic planner include project management, DOD and logistics. The most important skills for a senior planner are project management, customer service, and autocad.
| Strategic Planner | Senior Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $88,718 | $73,327 |
| Hourly rate | $42.65 | $35.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 24,228 | 14,351 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 2 |
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.
A senior planner is responsible for administering business proposals and strategizing techniques for clients' specifications and requirements, ensuring high-quality deliverables and satisfaction. Depending on the project, senior planners coordinate with suppliers and third-party vendors for essential materials to support business operations. They also delegate tasks to the staff and create progress update reports to discuss with the client and the management. A senior planner should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on handling budgets and adhering to agreed timetables.
Strategic planners and senior planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Planner | Senior Planner | |
| Average salary | $88,718 | $73,327 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $126,000 | Between $48,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | PVH | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a strategic planner and a senior planner in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Planner | Senior Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between strategic planners' and senior planners' demographics:
| Strategic Planner | Senior Planner | |
| Average age | 39 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% | Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 16% |