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The differences between accounting managers and purchasing managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an accounting manager, becoming a purchasing manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a purchasing manager has an average salary of $98,118, which is higher than the $84,451 average annual salary of an accounting manager.
The top three skills for an accounting manager include reconciliations, CPA and GAAP. The most important skills for a purchasing manager are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and project management.
| Accounting Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $84,451 | $98,118 |
| Hourly rate | $40.60 | $47.17 |
| Growth rate | 17% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 92,089 | 30,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
An accounting manager is responsible for supervising and monitoring the overall accounting department operations. Duties of an accounting manager include reviewing account information and account statements, processing invoices, analyzing financial data, performing account reconciliations, assisting with tax processing and audit reports, and generating financial reports for presentation with the board. An accounting manager must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and legislation to assist the team with the company's financial goals. Accounting managers must have the outstanding analytical, critical thinking, and decision-making skills to develop the best competitive financial strategies.
A purchasing manager is responsible for organizing and managing products to order or sell. Purchasing managers review product specifications, negotiate pricing details with the vendors, evaluate and choose the best suppliers, and assist purchasing agents. Purchase managers are also responsible for resolving order processing issues and analyzing current market trends to determine which products to purchase. A purchasing manager must have excellent decision-making and strategical skills to examine effects, inspect defective items, and create an in-depth analysis of customers' needs to improve their performance and sales.
Accounting managers and purchasing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounting Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average salary | $84,451 | $98,118 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $117,000 | Between $70,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Maine |
| Best paying company | Morgan Lewis | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an accounting manager and a purchasing manager in terms of educational background:
| Accounting Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between accounting managers' and purchasing managers' demographics:
| Accounting Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.4% Female, 59.6% | Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |