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What is a supply planner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Priya Nagaraj

A supply planner is an individual responsible for managing the inventory levels of a company's products to ensure that customer demand is met. They analyze sales forecasts, monitor inventory levels, and work with suppliers.. Supply planners also collaborate with other teams, such as production and logistics, to optimize the supply chain and reduce costs. The goal of a supply planner is to balance the availability of products with the cost of holding inventory.

What general advice would you give to a supply planner?

Priya NagarajPriya Nagaraj LinkedIn profile

Professor of Economics and Global Business, Website

Students should be able to analyze and interpret data. For instance, demand forecasting and predictive analytics are a large part of this industry today. As the number of regulations across nations increases, it is important to have at least some knowledge of foreign regulations. Cross-cultural knowledge and experience are always a plus in this area for prospective employees. People skills are also important along with knowledge of additional languages.
ScoreSupply PlannerUS Average
Salary
5.5

Avg. Salary $70,602

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.8

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.35%

Asian 11.92%

Black or African American 10.63%

Hispanic or Latino 18.44%

Unknown 5.77%

White 52.89%

Gender

female 47.75%

male 52.25%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a supply planner?

Pros

  • High demand for supply planners

  • Opportunities for career advancement

  • Competitive salary and benefits

  • Ability to develop analytical and problem-solving skills

  • Opportunity to work with cross-functional teams

Cons

  • High levels of stress due to tight deadlines and unexpected changes in demand

  • Long hours and potential for overtime work

  • Pressure to balance competing priorities and demands from different stakeholders

  • Potential for conflicts with other departments or suppliers

  • Risk of job insecurity due to fluctuations in demand or changes in company strategy

Supply planner career paths

Key steps to become a supply planner

  1. Explore supply planner education requirements

    Most common supply planner degrees

    Bachelor's

    76.0 %

    Master's

    12.8 %

    Associate

    6.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific supply planner skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Supply Chain14.57%
    Logistics8.06%
    Demand Planning6.75%
    Continuous Improvement5.70%
    Supply Plan4.06%
  3. Complete relevant supply planner training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New supply planners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a supply planner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real supply planner resumes.
  4. Research supply planner duties and responsibilities

    • Manage the sales demand in JDA on behalf of both PPD and GPO commercial.
    • Manage communication among freight forwarders, trucking companies, and warehouse representatives.
    • Check ERP system; review BOM and follow up with supplier to make sure material is available.
    • Interpret and execute the MRP supply recommendations for raw materials and packaging components used in assign parent products.
  5. Prepare your supply planner resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your supply planner resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a supply planner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable supply planner resume templates

    Build a professional supply planner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your supply planner resume.
    Supply Planner Resume
    Supply Planner Resume
    Supply Planner Resume
    Supply Planner Resume
    Supply Planner Resume
    Supply Planner Resume
    Supply Planner Resume
    Supply Planner Resume
    Supply Planner Resume
  6. Apply for supply planner jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a supply planner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first supply planner job

Zippi

Are you a supply planner?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average supply planner salary

The average supply planner salary in the United States is $70,602 per year or $34 per hour. Supply planner salaries range between $48,000 and $101,000 per year.

Average supply planner salary
$70,602 Yearly
$33.94 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do supply planners rate their job?

4/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Supply planner reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

KEEPING THE INVENTORY AND COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE

Cons

THERE ISN'T ANYTHING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT YET. BUT I WOULD LIKE MORE MONEY,


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
Pros

I work with an amazing team. To an extent I feel as if I have creative freedom. There are stressful days. In the end, its worth it and I love the challenge.

Cons

The stressful days, and disappointment associated with it.


profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019
Pros

You fill the proceeds in your hand, every production depends of you. If you don't have the material you don't have anithing

Cons

When you demand change


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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