Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between acquisition specialists and purchasing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an acquisition specialist and a purchasing assistant. Additionally, an acquisition specialist has an average salary of $65,906, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.
The top three skills for an acquisition specialist include program management, market research and DOD. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.
| Acquisition Specialist | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $65,906 | $38,331 |
| Hourly rate | $31.69 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | 9% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 17,543 | 8,415 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An acquisition specialist is in charge of developing strategies to acquire goods and services on behalf of a company. Their responsibilities include coordinating with different departments to gather data, conducting extensive research and analysis to find cost-efficient materials and resources, liaising with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, negotiating contracts, and arranging payment plans. Furthermore, an acquisition specialist may also participate in a company's employment procedures and recruit potential employees in adherence to the company's vision and mission.
A purchasing assistant is responsible for obtaining raw materials and goods for a business or company. They primarily function to assist purchasing managers or supervisors by keeping records, maintaining inventory, reviewing purchase orders, and monitoring shipments and deliveries. Furthermore, a purchasing assistant may perform administrative support tasks ranging from arranging appointments and managing schedules, answering calls and inquiries, reaching out to vendors and suppliers, producing reports, and coordinating with various departments to ensure the smooth flow of products within the company.
Acquisition specialists and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Acquisition Specialist | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $65,906 | $38,331 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $99,000 | Between $31,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Amazon | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an acquisition specialist and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Acquisition Specialist | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between acquisition specialists' and purchasing assistants' demographics:
| Acquisition Specialist | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 7.6% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |