Scheduler Jobs in the United States

Scheduler Jobs Overview

Schedulers plan out the daily activities of people, groups, and companies using software applications for resource planning and allocating workers, machines, and time. Entry-level scheduler jobs often take the form of customer service representative and administrative assistant roles. While some positions require one to two years of previous scheduling experience, others require no background in the field.

To guarantee the completion of all projects, schedulers also weigh incoming requests against available resources. When priorities or deadlines shift, they announce such changes and readjust all the appropriate workers' schedules and calendars.

Most employers provide on-the-job training to help schedulers familiarize themselves with a particular scheduling program, such as Google Workspace, ZoHo Bookings, or Square Appointments. Accessing higher-paying positions as a scheduler is possible with the right training. For schedulers working in the medical field, earning a credential like the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) is a great way to earn higher pay.

Schedulers usually work 40 hours a week, but some part-time positions are available. Those working as project and production schedulers often travel to building and manufacturing sites to perform monitoring and reporting, while those working in the medical industry usually work indoors in offices.

Scheduler jobs exist in almost every industry. Here are some of the most popular roles:

• Construction schedulers develop and update building project schedules, monitor project progress, identify potential setbacks, communicate with stakeholders, estimate labor costs, evaluate resources, and ensure the implementation of quality and safety standards.
• Hospital schedulers schedule appointments, collaborate with physicians and other healthcare personnel, maintain confidentiality, manage inventory and order supplies, submit insurance and billing information, answer patient questions about appointment times and procedure processes, and ensure compliance with procedures.
• Master schedulers manage the production schedules involved in manufacturing operations, supervise workers to ensure adherence to deadlines and safety and quality standards, coordinate work order execution, and create and distribute scheduling reports.
• Medical schedulers act as the primary or single point of contact between medical practices and patients. They also book patient appointments, document patient medical histories, manage patient inquiries, and use time management to schedule patient procedures.
• Production schedulers work on a production team, use inventory management applications, maintain production schedules, ensure project execution according to strict deadlines, and create and manage production distribution methods.
• Project schedulers create and maintain project schedules by developing project goals, coordinating tasks, monitoring progress, collaborating with vendors and team members, logging project timelines, identifying and mitigating potential risks, and producing and delivering project reports.

Salary Information for Scheduler Jobs

Schedulers working as operations coordinators earn within an hourly range of $14.70 to $30.01. The cities with the highest demand for these workers are Houston, TX; New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Phoenix, AZ; and Chicago, IL. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those working as production, planning, or expediting clerks earn a range of $16.84 to $38.10 hourly.

Average salaries for other scheduling jobs are:

• shipping/receiving clerk - $14.58 per hour
• logistics specialist - $46,314 per year
• dispatcher - $16.82 per hour
• production planner - $56,428 per year
• materials planner - $57,384 per year

Want to explore pay rates for your ideal scheduler jobs? Use the Monster Salary Tool.

How to Find the Right Scheduler Job

To find the best scheduler job for you, think about your professional objectives. Ask yourself these questions when you read through scheduler job descriptions to help you set career goals:

• Am I good at communicating with others?
• Am I comfortable using the required workforce management (WFM) software?
• What training does the job provide?
• Do I have the necessary qualifications, such as certification?
• Do I enjoy the job's industry?
• What expenses does the employer cover?

Some employers will cover the costs of professional development activities, such as the PMI Scheduling Professional certification, which can ultimately help advance your career. If a job description doesn't mention anything about professional development, ask about it.

Also ask about covered expenses, especially for job positions that require traveling between office headquarters and project sites. Many construction schedulers receive per diem pay and coverage of hotel and food expenses.

Application Advice for Scheduler Jobs

To leave a lasting impression on hiring managers, you’ll want a strong resume and cover letter. Use the tips outlined below to help ensure your next Scheduler application leads to a job offer.

Application Preparation

Demonstrate your sincere interest in a position by carefully preparing for the application process. When reading through an application, always do the following:

• Take note of any skills and required credentials.
• Add those skills and credentials to your application.
• Identify and follow all application guidelines.

Key skills to have in your scheduler job application include:

• scheduling, especially with WFM software
• reporting
• logistics
• confidentiality
• oral and written communication
• typing
• administrative proficiency
• email
• customer service
• interpersonal expertise

How to Create a Strong Scheduler Resume

Communicate the benefits of hiring you for scheduler jobs by creating a resume that shines. To do this, you must tailor your resume to the position you apply for by:

• using a professional resume format: chronological, functional, or mixed
• using a spelling and grammar checker to double-check the resume for typos
• adding skills and credentials as resume keywords

Schedulers must have impeccable time management and appointment-booking skills. Including these terms as keywords in your resume will show hiring managers that you have relevant experience.

Adding resume keywords also helps your application meet the criteria set in place by applicant tracking systems. Other skills to consider adding to your scheduler resume as keywords are:

• MS Office
• detail-oriented
• clinic
• patients
• technical collaboration
• innovation
• compliance
• answering phones
• data entry
• Microsoft Excel
• receptionist
• accuracy
• clerical skills
• multitasking
• documentation
• scanning

Need help creating a scheduler resume that impresses hiring managers? Sign up for Monster's Professional Resume Writing Service and receive a resume specifically tailored to the position you want to apply for.

Make an Impression With a Cover Letter

Some job applications won't mention anything about a cover letter, but you should always send one to help you stand apart from other applicants. In your cover letter, do the following:

• Explain your background in the scheduling industry.
• Discuss the different companies you've worked for as a scheduler.
• Describe why you want to work for the company.
• List your career goals and how the position aligns with them.
• Talk about your interpersonal skills.
• Include your contact information (phone number and email) and ask the hiring manager to reach out with any questions regarding your skills and qualifications.

Submitting the Application

You can use Monster to explore open scheduler jobs in several ways. Join Monster now, and create your profile to let recruiters know your availability. Simply upload your cover letter and resume, hit the "Submit" button, and your profile will go live. When recruiters see it, they can evaluate your qualifications and reach out to you for an interview.

You can also use Monster to apply for open scheduler jobs. To do this, find the job positions that interest you and hit the "Apply" button on each listing. A hiring manager will receive your application along with your resume and cover letter.

Scheduler Job Application Follow-Up

Allow sufficient time for the hiring manager to assess your application after submission. If you haven't heard anything about your application within five to seven business days of the submission deadline, go ahead and follow up with the company.

How to Follow Up

Email is the most convenient method for following up on an application. The application's instructions should list an email address you can use to reach a hiring manager. In the follow-up message, always elaborate on:

• your sincere appreciation for the company's time and consideration
• your reasons for wanting to work for the company
• your skills, qualifications, and experience in scheduling jobs

As you conclude your follow-up message, give the recruiting manager your contact information, and mention that you'd be happy to discuss the job and your qualifications.

Interview Advice for Scheduler Jobs

Getting the job you want requires impressing interviewers and hiring managers. Use these tips to ace your next scheduler job interview.

Prepare for the Interview

After you’ve landed an interview, start preparing by reviewing the employer’s core values and mission. Check out the company’s "About" page to learn about its history, management philosophy, and company culture. If you can, look up hiring managers and any news articles about the employer.

As you prepare further for the scheduler interview, keep this advice in mind:

• Read the job description carefully, several times.
• Use the internet to research the person conducting the interview.
• Find a friend to help you do practice interviews.
• Explore salary ranges for similar scheduler jobs.
• Evaluate your two biggest strengths and how you can convey them during the interview.
• Write down any questions you have about the job, including its duties, scheduling, frequency of pay, and qualifications.

The Interview Process

To boost your interview performance, it’s helpful to know if the interview will be competency- or behavior-based, or both. You can ask about the company’s process when you reply to their interview request, which will usually arrive via phone or email.

Competency-based interviews assess your abilities and knowledge. Behavioral interviews focus more on gauging your teamwork skills and general work ethic.

Use the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method to answer behavioral questions. Common questions to expect during a behavioral-based interview are:

• Have you ever had to adjust your plans to accommodate a severe electrical outage or breakdown of machinery?
• Has serious over- or understaffing ever occurred as a direct consequence of your scheduling predictions?
• How do you handle working with aggravated and frustrated clients/patients?
• What do you do when you are unable to fulfill all orders on time due to an overwhelming backlog?
• How do you handle working with frustrated team members?
• What do you do when a key vendor is unable to maintain their required performance levels?
• Have you ever successfully decreased stock levels by adjusting production schedules?

You’ll want to think about your scheduler hard skills when preparing for competency-based interviews. Some of the most common questions to expect during competency-based interviews are:

• How many words can you type in a minute?
• What scheduling applications and WFM programs are you proficient with?
• What got you into the scheduling career field?
• What certifications do you have?
• Do you want to take part in training and professional development programs?
• What do you like most about the career of a scheduler?
• What is the most challenging part of being a scheduler?
• What types of advanced administration skills do you have?

Remember to also dress appropriately when you attend your interview. Schedulers usually follow a dress code according to the industry they work in.

Medical schedulers usually wear scrubs. Construction schedulers often wear safety gear, including steel-toe boots and a hard hat, when working on job sites. But of course, for interviews, you won’t be showing up in full uniform. Instead, it's fine to wear casual business attire, such as a button-up shirt with pressed khakis or slacks.

Interview Follow-Up

A great way to catch the attention of hiring managers for scheduler jobs is to establish rapport with them. Sending a thank-you note after an interview is a simple but effective approach that shows your appreciation and helps start another conversation about your skills and qualifications.

Keep these tips in mind while writing your thank-you note:

• See whether there's a specified email address for the hiring manager in the application guidelines.
• Send it as soon as possible once the interview is over (within 24 hours).
• Write about your commitment to the role by restating your enthusiasm for filling it.
• Invite the interviewer to get in touch regarding any further questions they may have about your experience and skills.
• If you don't hear back from the company within five to seven business days, follow up again with a phone call.

Accepting a Scheduler Job Offer

Explore the perks and benefits of a job before accepting an offer. Also, keep the following tips in mind to choose a role that brings job satisfaction:

• Carefully read the job offer several times, particularly any fine print.
• Check the offer for all the perks and benefits that you discussed during the interview.
• Verify that the job duties match what you discussed with the interviewer.
• Ask yourself if you could be happy in the position.
• Perform extensive research on salaries for similar positions.
• Ask for clarification of any parts of the offer that confuse you.
• Provide documentation from authoritative sources when negotiating your salary.

Career Paths for Schedulers

Schedulers work in a diverse range of industries. The following fields have a high demand for schedulers:

• healthcare and medical
• production and logistics
• manufacturing and warehousing
• travel and transportation

Professional development and certification programs help schedulers move up the career ladder from lower-paying entry-level jobs into higher-paying middle management and executive positions. Popular career paths for schedulers include:

• Project manager: Plan, organize, and manage projects from beginning to end by creating budgets, scheduling appointments with vendors and distributors, collaborating with stakeholders, monitoring project progress, and delegating tasks.
• Senior project manager engineer: Create staff schedules, develop project timelines, oversee operating processes, manage budgets, communicate with investors, mentor workers, provide technical support, and ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.
• Construction project manager: Collaborate with architects and engineers, calculate labor costs, develop budgets, hire contractors, manage supplies, monitor projects, and ensure execution of work orders.
• Purchasing manager: Schedule orders, maintain inventory, procure goods, negotiate contracts, analyze market trends, communicate with investors, resolve issues with order processing, and develop purchasing strategies.
• Director of purchasing: Research vendors, analyze trends in the market, order supplies, develop purchasing strategies to boost cost efficiency, negotiate prices with suppliers, and schedule all order drop-off times.
• Purchasing coordinator: Create and manage relationships with suppliers and vendors, order and track supplies, refine purchasing strategies, manage the procurement process, and communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Executive assistant to the CEO: Answer phone calls, respond to emails, cultivate professional and personal connections, book meetings and events, organize business travel, and coordinate executive outreach initiatives.

Scheduler Jobs: Related Professions

As you progress in your career as a scheduler, you may find that you want to transfer your skills into other jobs. Some of the most popular roles relating to scheduler jobs are:

• maintenance coordinator
• project control manager
• systems engineer
• corporate meeting planner