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The differences between commodity analysts and senior purchasing agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a commodity analyst and a senior purchasing agent. Additionally, a commodity analyst has an average salary of $87,261, which is higher than the $73,386 average annual salary of a senior purchasing agent.
The top three skills for a commodity analyst include risk management, commodities and macro. The most important skills for a senior purchasing agent are purchase orders, project management, and supplier relationships.
| Commodity Analyst | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $87,261 | $73,386 |
| Hourly rate | $41.95 | $35.28 |
| Growth rate | 11% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 11,130 | 43,833 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A commodity analyst focuses on the raw material part of the stock market. This job can range from analyzing oil and electricity to soybeans and fruits. Typical tasks of a commodity analyst include monitoring the commodities and market industries, analyzing financial information, and drafting accurate reports for investors. This analyst requires at least a bachelor's degree in finance, economics, or a related field. Other qualifications include using computer software, a thorough knowledge of economics, and analytical skills.
Senior Purchasing Agents are experienced employees in the company's purchasing department. They oversee the purchase requisitions of the employees. They validate requests, ensure that the requestors followed company guidelines, check the availability of the items with the chosen supplier, and forward the purchase order to the supplier. Upon fulfillment of the request, Senior Purchasing Agents check the deliveries, ensure that the items are complete and correct, forward the items to the requestor, and process the payment for the supplier. Senior Purchasing agents also prepare reports, spot trends in employee or department purchases, and create recommendations based on observations. They are also expected to form good working relationships with suppliers.
Commodity analysts and senior purchasing agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commodity Analyst | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Average salary | $87,261 | $73,386 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $119,000 | Between $52,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Levi Strauss & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Energy |
There are a few differences between a commodity analyst and a senior purchasing agent in terms of educational background:
| Commodity Analyst | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between commodity analysts' and senior purchasing agents' demographics:
| Commodity Analyst | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4% | Male, 57.7% Female, 42.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |