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The differences between supply planners and planner/buyers 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 planner and a planner/buyer. Additionally, a supply planner has an average salary of $70,602, which is higher than the $54,261 average annual salary of a planner/buyer.
The top three skills for a supply planner include supply chain, logistics and demand planning. The most important skills for a planner/buyer are supply chain, purchase orders, and customer service.
| Supply Planner | Planner/Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,602 | $54,261 |
| Hourly rate | $33.94 | $26.09 |
| Growth rate | 28% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 39,798 | 33,452 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| 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.
The role of buyers/planners is to ensure that office materials and equipment are well-supplied within their organization. They decide and purchase the materials needed for use or resale by their organization. They are responsible for evaluating prospective suppliers based on their cost, product quality, and delivery times. They are also the ones who negotiate contracts specifying the payment terms, price, and delivery schedules. Most employers prefer their buyer to have earned a bachelor's degree with a major in operations management or business management.
Supply planners and planner/buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supply Planner | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average salary | $70,602 | $54,261 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $101,000 | Between $37,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a supply planner and a planner/buyer in terms of educational background:
| Supply Planner | Planner/Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between supply planners' and planner/buyers' demographics:
| Supply Planner | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |