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The differences between supply planners and purchasing supervisors 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 purchasing supervisor. Additionally, a supply planner has an average salary of $70,602, which is higher than the $68,702 average annual salary of a purchasing supervisor.
The top three skills for a supply planner include supply chain, logistics and demand planning. The most important skills for a purchasing supervisor are purchase orders, MRP, and supplier performance.
| Supply Planner | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $70,602 | $68,702 |
| Hourly rate | $33.94 | $33.03 |
| Growth rate | 28% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 39,798 | 19,412 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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.
A purchasing supervisor orders supplies, equipment, and materials from vendors by buyers. The purchasing supervisors assess, select, and build relationships with the vendors. They do the negotiation for the contracts of goods and services. It is their job to review the purchase orders for accuracy and ensure to obtain the best prices. The skills supervisors need to develop include marketing, communication, leadership, and management. They should also know about purchasing products and services.
Supply planners and purchasing supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supply Planner | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $70,602 | $68,702 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $101,000 | Between $45,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | CDW |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a supply planner and a purchasing supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Supply Planner | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between supply planners' and purchasing supervisors' demographics:
| Supply Planner | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| 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, 7.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |