Contract worker vs purchasing buyer

The differences between contract workers and purchasing buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a contract worker and a purchasing buyer. Additionally, a contract worker has an average salary of $70,825, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.

The top three skills for a contract worker include financial statements, SQL and payroll. The most important skills for a purchasing buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.

Contract worker vs purchasing buyer overview

	Contract Worker	Purchasing Buyer
Yearly salary	$70,825	$47,471
Hourly rate	$34.05	$22.82
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	36,853	21,158
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does a contract worker do?

A contract worker is an independent contractor who only works at companies for a limited amount of time, according to agreed-upon contract terms. When it comes to employment, a contract worker may find opportunities in different industries, depending upon their set of skills and abilities. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their company or industry of employment, it typically includes performing basic tasks, maintaining an active communication line with co-workers, and adhering to company policies and regulations.

What does a purchasing buyer do?

In a retail setting, a purchasing buyer is primarily responsible for devising strategies for procuring supplies, ensuring that it aligns with the company's needs and standards. They are also responsible for conducting thorough marketing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather and process documentation, liaising and negotiating with vendors and suppliers, and keeping track of all purchasing orders to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, as a purchasing buyer, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and submit regular reports to supervisors.

Contract worker vs purchasing buyer salary

Contract workers and purchasing buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Contract Worker	Purchasing Buyer
Average salary	$70,825	$47,471
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $95,000	Between $35,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	Goleta, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Aramco Services Company
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between contract worker and purchasing buyer education

There are a few differences between a contract worker and a purchasing buyer in terms of educational background:

	Contract Worker	Purchasing Buyer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Contract worker vs purchasing buyer demographics

Here are the differences between contract workers' and purchasing buyers' demographics:

	Contract Worker	Purchasing Buyer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 65.8% 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	7%	7%

Differences between contract worker and purchasing buyer duties and responsibilities

Contract worker example responsibilities.

Assist management in facilitating start-up QSR accounts while effectively managing GPO accounts.
Procure common hardware, plumbing and MRO materials.
Network within the community to find potential members that are recipients of Medicare/ Medicaid benefits.
Work on multiple accounts providing payroll advice and walking through setup and process of running payroll online.
Supervise a staff of ten HVAC installers and technicians, providing ongoing field training and troubleshooting support.
Follow QA prints to determine the location and layout of various size brackets for various size SCBA bottles.

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Purchasing buyer example responsibilities.

Manage the development of RFP process per departmental and legal requirements.
Create and manage requisitions, code billing statements and reconcile monthly bills in PeopleSoft.
Manage logistics and materials receive for appropriate quantities, timeliness and accuracy to complete project project.
Complete request for quotation (RFQ), design reviews, and advance product quality planning (APQP).
Used MRP to track and develop orders for electronic and mechanical commodities for high volume 32,000 a day unit product.
Make purchasing decisions base on the examination and recommendations of the ERP planning system and issuing and maintaining supplier purchase orders.

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Contract worker vs purchasing buyer skills

Common contract worker skills

Financial Statements, 17%
SQL, 15%
Payroll, 10%
Computer System, 10%
Assembly Line, 8%
PowerPoint, 7%

Common purchasing buyer skills

Purchase Orders, 29%
Logistics, 6%
Cost Savings, 5%
ERP, 4%
MRP, 4%
RFQ, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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