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The differences between supply chain leads and inventory managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a supply chain lead and an inventory manager. Additionally, a supply chain lead has an average salary of $101,348, which is higher than the $62,768 average annual salary of an inventory manager.
The top three skills for a supply chain lead include supply chain, project management and kpis. The most important skills for an inventory manager are PET, direct reports, and customer service.
| Supply Chain Lead | Inventory Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $101,348 | $62,768 |
| Hourly rate | $48.73 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | - | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 34,069 | 30,717 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A supply chain lead specializes in overseeing the supply chain in a company, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are primarily responsible for managing schedules, monitoring supplies and logistics, addressing and resolving issues and concerns, and building positive relationships with vendors and suppliers. Supply chain leaders must also maintain quality control and inventory, coordinate workers, and produce progress reports for supervisors and high-ranking personnel. Furthermore, it is essential to lead and encourage staff, all while implementing the policies and standards of the company.
An inventory manager is responsible for supervising the overall inventory operations, monitoring supplies and materials, and checking the accuracy of data reports from the inventory associates. Inventory managers' duties include validating stock levels using record software tools, determining the availability of stocks for purchase orders, inspecting the incoming and outgoing shipments, and addressing product concerns by communicating with suppliers and third-party vendors. An inventory manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the staff's performance and manage customers' inquiries and complaints.
Supply chain leads and inventory managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supply Chain Lead | Inventory Manager | |
| Average salary | $101,348 | $62,768 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $136,000 | Between $43,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Retail |
There are a few differences between a supply chain lead and an inventory manager in terms of educational background:
| Supply Chain Lead | Inventory Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between supply chain leads' and inventory managers' demographics:
| Supply Chain Lead | Inventory Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5% | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 8.5% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |