Associate buyer vs wholesale buyer

The differences between associate buyers and wholesale buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate buyer and a wholesale buyer. Additionally, a wholesale buyer has an average salary of $55,762, which is higher than the $49,963 average annual salary of an associate buyer.

The top three skills for an associate buyer include customer service, purchase orders and math. The most important skills for a wholesale buyer are wholesale purchase, market trends, and retail sales.

Associate buyer vs wholesale buyer overview

	Associate Buyer	Wholesale Buyer
Yearly salary	$49,963	$55,762
Hourly rate	$24.02	$26.81
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	14,942	14,580
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Associate buyer vs wholesale buyer salary

Associate buyers and wholesale buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Associate Buyer	Wholesale Buyer
Average salary	$49,963	$55,762
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $68,000	Between $39,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	VF	Outdoor Specialty Products
Best paying industry	Technology	Hospitality

Differences between associate buyer and wholesale buyer education

There are a few differences between an associate buyer and a wholesale buyer in terms of educational background:

	Associate Buyer	Wholesale Buyer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Akron

Associate buyer vs wholesale buyer demographics

Here are the differences between associate buyers' and wholesale buyers' demographics:

	Associate Buyer	Wholesale Buyer
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 31.8% Female, 68.2%	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 6.0% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 5.7% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between associate buyer and wholesale buyer duties and responsibilities

Associate buyer example responsibilities.

Define and manage sales, markdowns, inventories (OTB plans) achieving financial objectives for all years in position.
Manage numerous RFP processes for the non-technology services.
Support include identifying and qualifying vendors, manage process for select RFP's and assist with bid assessments.
Work closely with planner and buyer to manage OTB and determine when to maximize business and when to protect liabilities.
Manage and develop successful relationships with top luxury watch and jewelry brands.
Coordinate and provide direction to inventory teams by managing product placement, open-to-buy, and logistics.

Wholesale buyer example responsibilities.

Coordinate and provide direction to inventory teams by managing product placement, open-to-buy, and logistics.
Evaluate sales records and inventory levels to determine appropriate product requirements for a wide variety of automotive and industrial commodities.
Originate BOM structure for production operations.

Associate buyer vs wholesale buyer skills

Common associate buyer skills

Customer Service, 16%
Purchase Orders, 15%
Math, 5%
Vendor Relations, 5%
Logistics, 3%
Market Trends, 3%

Common wholesale buyer skills

Wholesale Purchase, 64%
Market Trends, 20%
Retail Sales, 16%

Associate Buyer vs. similar jobs

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Associate Buyer related jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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