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The differences between assistant buyers and junior buyers/buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become an assistant buyer, becoming a junior buyer/buyer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a junior buyer/buyer has an average salary of $52,374, which is higher than the $49,586 average annual salary of an assistant buyer.
The top three skills for an assistant buyer include purchase orders, vendor relations and customer service. The most important skills for a junior buyer/buyer are purchase orders, MRP, and ERP.
| Assistant Buyer | Junior Buyer/Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $49,586 | $52,374 |
| Hourly rate | $23.84 | $25.18 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 15,090 | 22,370 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
An assistant buyer participates and assists in the procurement procedures in a retail company. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around selecting products according to company guidelines, handling and organizing purchase orders, and monitoring the budget. An assistant buyer may also have administrative support tasks such as responding to calls and correspondence, preparing paperwork and progress reports, arranging schedules, keeping records of invoices and inventory, and staying updated with trends. Furthermore, an assistant buyer must reach out to new suppliers and engage with vendors to maintain and establish a positive business relationship.
A junior buyer/buyer is in charge of purchasing supplies in adherence to company goals. Their responsibilities typically revolve around participating in meetings that discuss the kinds of products to procure, performing research and analysis to find the ideal vendors or suppliers, liaising and negotiating with external parties, maintaining invoices and records of all transactions, and producing progress reports. Furthermore, it is essential to monitor the shipment and deliveries of supplies, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Should there be any problems, it is necessary to coordinate with vendors right away.
Assistant buyers and junior buyers/buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Buyer | Junior Buyer/Buyer | |
| Average salary | $49,586 | $52,374 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $67,000 | Between $39,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Fashion Nova | Astronics |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between an assistant buyer and a junior buyer/buyer in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Buyer | Junior Buyer/Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant buyers' and junior buyers/buyers' demographics:
| Assistant Buyer | Junior Buyer/Buyer | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 6.6% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 7% |