Purchasing Managers: Career Overview
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Includes wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.
Featured schools near , edit
What Do Purchasing Managers Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of purchasing managers span:
- Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
- Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
- Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
- Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
- Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy.
- Review, evaluate, and approve specifications for issuing and awarding bids.
- Administer online purchasing systems.
- Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders for supplies and equipment.
What Purchasing Managers Need to Know
Top purchasing managers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Category Purchasing Manager
- Commissary Superintendent
- Commodity Manager
- Contract Manager
- Contracting Manager
- Division Merchandise Manager (DMM)
- General Merchandise Manager
- Materials Director
How Many Purchasing Managers Are There?
The U.S. employs around 248,461 purchasing managers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.4% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Purchasing Managers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $74,176 |
| Hourly median | $35.66 |
| 10th percentile | $51,040 |
| 25th percentile | $62,608 |
| 75th percentile | $85,743 |
| 90th percentile | $97,311 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Purchasing Managers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $173,130 |
| District of Columbia | $171,910 |
| Massachusetts | $168,890 |
| Washington | $165,170 |
| New York | $164,950 |
| Colorado | $163,610 |
| Virginia | $161,300 |
| Minnesota | $157,450 |
| Maryland | $153,320 |
| New Hampshire | $153,000 |
| California | $152,190 |
| West Virginia | $140,370 |
| Arizona | $139,370 |
| Illinois | $139,330 |
| Rhode Island | $138,300 |
| Michigan | $137,630 |
| Kansas | $135,760 |
| Georgia | $133,850 |
| Tennessee | $132,930 |
| Missouri | $132,370 |
| Texas | $132,270 |
| New Mexico | $131,710 |
| Connecticut | $131,230 |
| Maine | $130,880 |
| Oregon | $130,700 |
| North Carolina | $130,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $130,140 |
| Ohio | $129,200 |
| Montana | $129,000 |
| Alabama | $127,680 |
| South Carolina | $126,260 |
| North Dakota | $125,720 |
| Florida | $125,690 |
| Utah | $123,360 |
| Wisconsin | $122,780 |
| Nebraska | $121,290 |
| Indiana | $120,840 |
| Alaska | $120,060 |
| Idaho | $117,530 |
| Vermont | $116,130 |
| Arkansas | $116,060 |
| South Dakota | $115,730 |
| Kentucky | $113,910 |
| Oklahoma | $113,360 |
| Mississippi | $112,560 |
| Iowa | $111,250 |
| Louisiana | $105,980 |
| Hawaii | $103,710 |
| Nevada | $101,620 |
| Puerto Rico | $78,440 |
| Guam | $67,380 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for purchasing managers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $157,478 | 19.5% | 1.38 |
| New England | $150,837 | 6.5% | 1.40 |
| Far Western US | $148,366 | 14.7% | 0.86 |
| Rocky Mountains | $145,496 | 2.9% | 0.74 |
| Plains States | $135,888 | 5.6% | 0.83 |
| Great Lakes | $133,880 | 12.4% | 1.15 |
| Southeast | $133,457 | 24.7% | 1.06 |
| Southwest | $132,690 | 13.5% | 1.07 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $194,510 | 650 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $173,080 | 6,160 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $172,830 | 290 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $170,900 | 2,080 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | AR | $169,720 | 320 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $168,630 | 900 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $168,460 | 1,190 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $167,370 | 70 |
Industry Breakdown
Most purchasing managers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 19,830 | $132,720 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 15,910 | $162,920 |
| Wholesale Trade | 9,510 | $127,310 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7,020 | $163,560 |
| Construction | 2,630 | $123,850 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,550 | $114,890 |
| Retail Trade | 2,340 | $129,200 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,140 | $139,520 |
Purchasing Managers work in the following industries:
Software Purchasing Managers Use
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Oracle Database (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for purchasing managers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Purchasing Managers
Entry-level purchasing managers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Primary-Long)
- Supply Chain Managers (Primary-Long)
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Logisticians (Primary-Short)
- Logistics Engineers (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Students preparing for purchasing managers commonly pursue programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-3061.00 (Purchasing Managers).
BusinessDegreeCentral.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© BusinessDegreeCentral.com – All Rights Reserved.