Supply Chain Recruiters | Volume 3 – July 2026
Has Your Demand Planning & S&OP Compensation Kept Pace with the Market?
Over the past fifteen years, we’ve had the opportunity to speak with thousands of Demand Planning and S&OP professionals across virtually every major industry. During that time, we’ve tracked how compensation, leadership expectations, and the profession itself have evolved.
One finding from our latest research stood out above all others.
Average Demand Planning compensation has increased by more than 20% since 2019—and those gains have largely held despite a slower hiring market.
That raises an important question for every organization:
Is your compensation still competitive?
To help answer that question, we’re pleased to release the Demand Planning & S&OP Compensation & Workforce Benchmark Report.
Drawing upon compensation observations collected during 2024 and 2025, along with longitudinal data dating back to 2011, the report examines not only compensation trends, but also the broader forces shaping Demand Planning and S&OP leadership.
Inside the report you’ll discover:
- How compensation has changed across every major Demand Planning and S&OP title level
- Which industries pay the highest compensation
- How company size and geography influence compensation
- How compensation patterns have evolved during the pay transparency era
- The leadership skills increasingly separating top-performing planners
- How artificial intelligence is changing the future of Demand Planning and S&OP
Whether you’re responsible for hiring planning talent, leading a planning organization, or evaluating your own career progression, we believe this report provides practical market intelligence that can help inform better decisions.
Access the Demand Planning & S&OP Compensation & Workforce Benchmark Report.
If you find the report valuable, we encourage you to share it with colleagues who may also benefit from the findings.
As always, if you’d like to discuss the report, benchmark your organization, or simply compare observations about the current planning talent market, we’d welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation.
We’re excited to spend the coming months connecting with supply chain professionals at these industry events, including an upcoming conference where we will be presenting.
If you’ll be attending any of these conferences, we’d enjoy the opportunity to meet in person. Whether you’re a long-time connection or introducing yourself for the first time, we’d love to see you there.
Let us know if you’ll be attending!
We will be presenting on the State of Employment in Demand- and Supply Planning at the IBF BUSINESS PLANNING, FORECASTING & S&OP/ IBP: BEST PRACTICES CONFERENCE in Orlando.
We will be attending the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver.
Although slow in the 2nd half of 2025, we’ve been seeing the job market open up in the 1st half of 2026:
- Sr. Director of Warehousing: Cincinnati, OH
- Director of Product Management: Nashville, TN
- Supply Chain Planning Manager: Chicago, IL
- Demand Planner: Oakland, CA
- Material Planner: Manchester, NH
We’re actively partnering with organizations nationwide to identify exceptional supply chain talent. Here’s a sampling of our current opportunities:
- Sr. Manager of Production Planning & Scheduling: Franklin, MA
- Sr. Manager of Demand Planning: New York City
- Supply Planning Manager: Norwalk, CT
- Demand Planner: Remote
Your success is driven by the people behind it. We’re proud to spotlight our Impact Players—candidates that are confidentially looking who could have a major impact on your business. Let us know if you’d be interested in an introduction:
- Sr. Purchasing Manager: Consumer Goods background. Boston, MA
- Supply Planning Manager: Consumer Products and e-Commerce background. MS in Data Science. New York City
WHAT COMPANIES SAY ABOUT
LIFEWORK SEARCH
LifeWork Search saved the day for our job search for a Demand Planning Senior Manager. After spending more than 9 months searching with internal tools and resources, I asked for them to step in. LifeWork Search did a thorough job scoping the role up front, were highly communicative, managed expectations and landed the highest quality candidate we had seen up to that point - all in under 30 days. This person is thriving and we wouldn’t have achieved it without their support. Thank you.
Ready to Hire or Explore Your Next Opportunity?
Whether you’re hiring exceptional talent or exploring your next career move, our team is ready to help.
Helping manufacturing and distribution companies build exceptional supply chain leadership teams across the United States.
LifeWork Search, 519 American Legion Hwy, Westport, MA 02790, United States