Production Planners: How to Become One

If you were to ask a group of production planners about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.

That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for production planners to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of production planners expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.

Keep reading to learn more about career steps for production planners.

What Education & Experience is Needed for Production Planners?

Do production planners need a degree? What kind of experience do production planners typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for production planners to secure jobs.

Education Level Required in Job Postings for Production Planners

A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of production planners. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 44% of positions. In 24% of job listings no education level was listed and in 23% of postings a High School diploma or GED was required.

Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Production Planners

While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for production planners. In 43% of job postings for Production Planners, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 24% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience, while 0-1 years of experience was sought in 22% of job postings for production planners.

What Kind of Degree Do Production Planners Need?

So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for production planners, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?

According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 6 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective production planners, and in 2023 a total of 22,451 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.

Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective production planners.

Top Degree Programs for Production Planners

Top Online College For Working Adults

Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.

Degree Options for Production Planners

What Skills Do Production Planners Need?

Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by production planners to secure a job?

A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for production planners, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.

In-Demand Skills for Today's Production Planners
Based on 152,047 job postings

Based on 152,047 job postings related to production planners, supply chain was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 36% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for logistics, purchasing, inventory management, warehousing and procurement were also highly sought.

As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for production planners, followed by management, operations, planning, customer service and microsoft excel.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about production planners? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for production planners.

What do production planners do?
How much do production planners make?

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The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

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