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The differences between strategic planning directors and planning managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a strategic planning director and a planning manager. Additionally, a strategic planning director has an average salary of $142,172, which is higher than the $98,486 average annual salary of a planning manager.
The top three skills for a strategic planning director include project management, business development and financial models. The most important skills for a planning manager are project management, customer service, and strong analytical.
| Strategic Planning Director | Planning Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $142,172 | $98,486 |
| Hourly rate | $68.35 | $47.35 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 59,153 | 137,190 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A strategic planning director is responsible for overseeing the organization's operations and processes to identify strategic initiatives that would drive the company to its long-term growth and development. Strategic planning directors identify business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and profits by conducting data and statistical analysis with the current industry trends. They also monitor sales and marketing activities to ensure the efficient delivery of promotional campaigns on various market platforms. A strategic planning director must have excellent communication skills, especially in negotiating contracts with clients and maintaining a long-lasting business relationship.
Planning managers perform various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include planning and monitoring a project or department's budget, production schedule, and inventory, creating reports of new plans, programs, and regulations, and ensuring development proposals comply with requirements and regulations. Additionally, planning managers are expected to serve as an intermediary between developers, government entities, businesses, and communities. They also oversee site plans, rezoning, and special-use permits, set schedules for the project, and supervise other personnel such as developers and consultants.
Strategic planning directors and planning managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Planning Director | Planning Manager | |
| Average salary | $142,172 | $98,486 |
| Salary range | Between $94,000 And $214,000 | Between $71,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | ZS |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a strategic planning director and a planning manager in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Planning Director | Planning Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between strategic planning directors' and planning managers' demographics:
| Strategic Planning Director | Planning Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% |
| 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, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |