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The differences between category managers and buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a category manager, becoming a buyer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a category manager has an average salary of $102,035, which is higher than the $54,049 average annual salary of a buyer.
The top three skills for a category manager include strategic sourcing, category strategy and supplier performance. The most important skills for a buyer are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.
| Category Manager | Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,035 | $54,049 |
| Hourly rate | $49.06 | $25.99 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 108,424 | 23,589 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 10 | - |
Category managers are usually employed in the retail industry. They are primarily responsible for the sales enhancement of a specific group of products. The managers are involved in pricing, marketing, inventory, and vendor management. Their daily tasks include meeting with suppliers to talk about the plans, conducting orientation to the market research company, and updating category reports. Qualified applicants must have a degree in business administration or a related field as well as relevant job experience in a related job.
A buyer's duties include product sourcing and comparing resources for the best product range that would suit the specific needs of the business. Buyers must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to evaluate items that most likely benefit the customer and improve the sales of daily operations with cost-efficient products. They also conduct extensive research for market and price trends while considering the highest quality standards. Buyers should also possess strong analytical skills to create purchase orders and statistical analysis.
Category managers and buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Category Manager | Buyer | |
| Average salary | $102,035 | $54,049 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $138,000 | Between $37,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Englewood, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a category manager and a buyer in terms of educational background:
| Category Manager | Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between category managers' and buyers' demographics:
| Category Manager | Buyer | |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3% | Male, 43.9% Female, 56.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 15% |