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The differences between supply planners and planer operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a supply planner, becoming a planer operator takes usually requires 3-6 months. Additionally, a supply planner has an average salary of $70,602, which is higher than the $46,309 average annual salary of a planer operator.
The top three skills for a supply planner include supply chain, logistics and demand planning. The most important skills for a planer operator are co-op, project management, and supply chain.
| Supply Planner | Planer Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $70,602 | $46,309 |
| Hourly rate | $33.94 | $22.26 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 39,798 | 28,742 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A supply planner is primarily in charge of maintaining a company's inventory of supplies, ensuring all are sufficient and efficient. Their responsibilities revolve around monitoring and counting the inventory, maintaining accurate records, reviewing receipts and other documentation, anticipating product demands, and liaising with vendors and suppliers. Should there be any supply emergencies or issues, one must visit manufacturers or suppliers. There may also be instances where one has to lift products and propose changes in the inventory processes.
Planner operators are individuals tasked to set up and operate power-fed planer or facer machines to size and surface woodstock used in the production of furniture. The operators turn handwheels to make adjustments to table level, feed rolls, and pressure bars based on stock thickness and cut. They sharpen cutters on stone or abrasive wheel. Their duties may also include operating circular saw for Woodstock defect removal and signaling coworker to stop feeding stock into the planer upon jam occurrence.
Supply planners and planer operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supply Planner | Planer Operator | |
| Average salary | $70,602 | $46,309 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $101,000 | Between $32,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Meta | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a supply planner and a planer operator in terms of educational background:
| Supply Planner | Planer Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between supply planners' and planer operators' demographics:
| Supply Planner | Planer Operator | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 52.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 3.4% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 4% |