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Contractor buyer vs order management specialist

The differences between contractor buyers and order management specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a contractor buyer and an order management specialist. Additionally, a contractor buyer has an average salary of $40,785, which is higher than the $37,456 average annual salary of an order management specialist.

The top three skills for a contractor buyer include customer service, purchase orders and data entry. The most important skills for an order management specialist are customer service, order entry, and logistics.

Contractor buyer vs order management specialist overview

Contractor BuyerOrder Management Specialist
Yearly salary$40,785$37,456
Hourly rate$19.61$18.01
Growth rate--
Number of jobs22,985102,332
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age4343
Years of experience22

What does a contractor buyer do?

A contractor buyer is responsible for acquiring materials and resources for construction and manufacturing processes that meet the quality standards and budget limitations. Contractor buyers negotiate offers with trusted suppliers and vendors for cost-effective materials based on design specifications and requirements. They also monitor the accurate distribution and delivery schedules to maintain the consistency of project plans and finish the task within the required deadlines. A contractor buyer must have excellent knowledge of the construction industry to identify the reliability of resources and handle the costings efficiently.

What does an order management specialist do?

An order management specialist is responsible for monitoring sales orders and confirming accurate delivery details to the customers. Order management specialists verify the availability of placed orders, ensuring its quality before shipment to avoid complaints and issues. They also update and track the customer's account information in the database, including payments posting and order verification. An order management specialist must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in handling customers' inquiries and concerns about the products and resolving delivery discrepancies.

Contractor buyer vs order management specialist salary

Contractor buyers and order management specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Contractor BuyerOrder Management Specialist
Average salary$40,785$37,456
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $50,000Between $23,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCNorwood, MA
Highest paying stateConnecticutConnecticut
Best paying companyJohnson ControlsIBM
Best paying industryTechnologyHealth Care

Differences between contractor buyer and order management specialist education

There are a few differences between a contractor buyer and an order management specialist in terms of educational background:

Contractor BuyerOrder Management Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Contractor buyer vs order management specialist demographics

Here are the differences between contractor buyers' and order management specialists' demographics:

Contractor BuyerOrder Management Specialist
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 35.3% Female, 64.7%Male, 39.5% Female, 60.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between contractor buyer and order management specialist duties and responsibilities

Contractor buyer example responsibilities.

  • Manage OEM IBM customer account from quote to cash.
  • Manage returned inventory (RMA's), and provide internal reporting as needed.
  • Facilitate and manage the logistics of large, multifamily cooperative purchases.
  • Manage escalations and expedites process in support of shorten interval requests.
  • Work with BAAN, an ERP system, to check MRP and place purchase orders and production orders.
  • Preside over inventory cycle counts and ISO audits.
  • Show more

Order management specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage raw material, MRO and service purchasing requirements for existing product lines, and new product development.
  • Implement several cost reduction strategies for contract labor, including an RFQ for a vendor manage contract labor program.
  • Facilitate and lead all backlog and operations reviews with sales, manufacturing and logistics increasing communication among groups
  • Dispatch all TL's and LTL loads.
  • Issue credits (CVC, SHT, markdowns) through As400.
  • Prepare bid documents (RFI's, RFP's, etc.
  • Show more

Contractor buyer vs order management specialist skills

Common contractor buyer skills
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Purchase Orders, 16%
  • Data Entry, 7%
  • Logistics, 4%
  • Customer Orders, 4%
  • ERP, 4%
Common order management specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Order Entry, 9%
  • Logistics, 7%
  • Customer Orders, 6%
  • CRM, 5%
  • Purchase Orders, 5%

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