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The differences between strategic planning analysts and planning specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a strategic planning analyst, becoming a planning specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a strategic planning analyst has an average salary of $77,834, which is higher than the $69,170 average annual salary of a planning specialist.
The top three skills for a strategic planning analyst include powerpoint, data analysis and market research. The most important skills for a planning specialist are customer service, logistics, and project management.
| Strategic Planning Analyst | Planning Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $77,834 | $69,170 |
| Hourly rate | $37.42 | $33.25 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 58,606 | 31,008 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A strategic planning analyst specializes in developing strategies to help businesses deal with organizational issues and reach their short and long-term goals. Among their responsibilities include understanding the company's needs and goals, performing extensive research and analysis to identify client and business opportunities, setting up guidelines and timelines, gathering and analyzing data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current operations, and developing analytical models and forecasts. Moreover, a strategic planning analyst must recommend solutions while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
A planning specialist is responsible for monitoring the project management procedures of an organization's operations, ensuring that the team meets budget goals and deadline deliverables. Planning specialists coordinate with suppliers and other third-party vendors for materials needed in the operations, as well as inspecting the efficiency and performance of equipment to prevent delays. They also manage the team's adherence to production schedule, task delegations, and output deliveries. A planning specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing progress reports and performing other related administrative duties.
Strategic planning analysts and planning specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Planning Analyst | Planning Specialist | |
| Average salary | $77,834 | $69,170 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $110,000 | Between $49,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | Rockville, MD |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a strategic planning analyst and a planning specialist in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Planning Analyst | Planning Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between strategic planning analysts' and planning specialists' demographics:
| Strategic Planning Analyst | Planning Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.2% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 11.3% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 9% |