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The differences between contracts managers and directors of purchasing can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a contracts manager and a director of purchasing. Additionally, a director of purchasing has an average salary of $106,945, which is higher than the $72,691 average annual salary of a contracts manager.
The top three skills for a contracts manager include contract management, contract administration and contract terms. The most important skills for a director of purchasing are supply chain, purchase orders, and product development.
| Contracts Manager | Director Of Purchasing | |
| Yearly salary | $72,691 | $106,945 |
| Hourly rate | $34.95 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 13,218 | 17,847 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A contract manager is responsible for finalizing contract agreements between the company and its clients, revising documents, creating procurement proposals, and managing breach of contracts immediately. Contract managers respond to clients' inquiries and concerns about the contract's terms, conditions, and adjustment requests. They should be highly knowledgeable with legal terms and legislation regulations, ensuring that documents align with their objectives. The contract manager should also stay updated with the latest trends to meet contract demands, identify more business opportunities to boost revenues, and achieve profitability goals.
A director of purchasing oversees the procedures related to buying resources and supplies, directing operations from planning to execution while adhering to standards and company policies. They primarily perform research and assessments to understand project needs in terms of price, quality, and delivery time. They also identify ideal suppliers, negotiate deals, and build positive business relationships. Additionally, a director of purchasing has the authority to make significant decisions, delegate responsibilities among staff, oversee employment procedures within the department, and solve issues and concerns when any arise.
Contracts managers and directors of purchasing have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contracts Manager | Director Of Purchasing | |
| Average salary | $72,691 | $106,945 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $116,000 | Between $68,000 And $166,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Rivian |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a contracts manager and a director of purchasing in terms of educational background:
| Contracts Manager | Director Of Purchasing | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between contracts managers' and directors of purchasing' demographics:
| Contracts Manager | Director Of Purchasing | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.0% Female, 46.0% | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |